The SCC and SRL, Inc. have been collaborating in the clinical joint research named the “Project HOPE (High-tech Omics-based Patient Evaluation)” since 2014. This is to evaluate the freshly-resected tumor tissues and blood samples obtained at the surgeries for entire exons and entire gene expressions, and to compare them with the clinical data for building out the database. So far, about the data collected have accumulated as 5,000 cases, which is one of the largest cancer multi-omics clinical databases as a single medical institution in Japan. In order to leverage this database and the know-hows acquired through the research, the two parties have reached an agreement to establish a joint venture company. At the new company, highly-qualified laboratory testing services (including original cancer gene panel testing, gene polymorphism panel testing for drug-metabolizing enzyme, hereditary cancer gene panel testing, etc.) meeting the ISO15189 and CAP/CLIA standards are provided with the biotic samples including applicable pathological specimens commissioned by medical institutions. The services are all for promoting cancer genome medicine for the Japanese people. In addition to the gene panel testing, along with continuing the Project HOPE, some new technology, which is supposed to be clinically applied in the future, will be developed at this company under the strict quality assurance and accuracy control required for clinical test and gene testing. In order to drive this business forward, the SCC offers the clinical database with 5,000 cases and ample clinical experiences, while highly-skilled testing technologies and a nationwide network offered by SRL are fully incorporated. The investment ratio for the SCC is 22.2% (100,000,000 yen) and SRL holds 77.8% (350,000,000 yen) of shares. This is a unique business form, being the first case as a joint venture company between a public hospital and a private company, and it’s also rare in Japan.
