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| New Wholly Owned Subsidiary Established
by Olympus Corporation OLYMPUS BIOMATERIAL CORP. to Specialize in Biomaterials and Tissue
Engineering |
On September 1, 2004, Olympus Corporation (President: Tsuyoshi
Kikukawa) established OLYMPUS BIOMATERIAL CORP. (President: Hitoshi Mizuno) as a wholly
owned subsidiary. The new company, which will commence operation on October 1, 2004, will
specialize in biomaterials and tissue engineering, encompassing R&D, production and
sales. Product areas will include not only bone tissue engineering, in which Olympus has
been commercially involved since the fall of 2002, but also artificial bone replacement
materials and other related products.
In 1999 Olympus commenced sales of OSferion, an artificial bone replacement materials based
on β-TCP (beta-tricalcium phosphate). Used in orthopedic surgery, this product has
unique properties that allow it to be absorbed and replaced to bone tissue as it is absorbed
into the body. Olympus moved into the tissue engineering field in 2002 with the aim of
creating a commercial bone tissue engineering business based on β-TCP.
The need for minimally-invasive technologies and enhanced quality of life will increase
as society ages. By restructuring its biomaterials and tissue engineering activities as
a separate, dedicated entity, Olympus aims to achieve three goals:
1) accelerate business through faster decision-making;
2) establish an integrated business structure; and
3) reinforce synergies between biomaterials and tissue engineering businesses.
In the future, the Olympus Group intends to expand into related areas, including other
types of biomaterials such as artificial bone replacement material for dental use, as well
as articular cartilage tissue engineering and tissue engineering for tissues and organs
other than bones.
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OSferion - artificial bone replacement material |
| Profile of OLYMPUS BIOMATERIAL CORP. |
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| Company name |
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OLYMPUS BIOMATERIAL CORP. |
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| Officers |
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President and Representative Director: Hitoshi Mizuno
Director: Shuichi Takayama
Director: Hisashi Mori
Auditor: Tadao Imai |
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| Head office |
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Shinjuku Monolith, 3-1 Nishi-Shinjuku 2-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-0914,
Japan |
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| Business activities |
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Research and development, manufacturing and sales in the fields of biomaterials
and tissue engineering and related products |
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| Capital |
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48 million yen |
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| Ownership structure |
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Wholly owned by Olympus Corporation |
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| Establishment date |
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September 1, 2004 |
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| Commencement of operation |
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October 1, 2004 (tentative) |
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| Employees |
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24 (as of October 1, 2004) |
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