OREANDA-NEWS. April 23, 2012. Toyota Tsusho (hereinafter "Toyota Tsusho"; headquarters: Nagoya, Japan; president: Jun Karube) concluded an exclusive agency agreement for Japan with Global Neurotech Pharma (hereinafter "GNT"), a Korean  venture business for developing new pharmaceuticals.  

GNT has begun development of new neurological anti-inflammatories. These drugs would be effective for treating cerebral infarctions, a disorder which takes the lives of about 80,000 people annually (*1) and is among JapanЃfs three major causes of death, and Alzheimer's disease, which is anticipated to afflict over two million in Japan by the year 2020. Clinical trials are currently underway for three new types of drug candidates (*2).

These candidates for the new drug are compounds with dual actions,  both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. They are expected to satisfy the medical needs presented by brain cell disorders for which effective treatment has not yet been established, especially cerebral infarction and intractable inflammation.  

Toyota Tsusho took a prompt action to join in the development of the neurological anti-flammatories, a market which is expected to grow in the future. In its capacity as a trading and business development company, Toyota Tsusho will implement licenses for new drug candidates to pharmaceutical manufacturers in Japan, as well as provide support for joint developments.    

In addition, to help realize the "Global 2020 Vision" management vision, in April 2012 Toyota Tsusho established "Life & Medical Business Development Department" a new corporate organization dedicated to the overall promotion of pharmaceutical products and the health care business. With global demand increasing due to a rapidly expanding and aging population, Toyota Tsusho aims to contribute to the medical industry through its flexible global network.


* 1 Source: Estimate by Toyota Tsusho based on data provided by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website.

* 2 Refer to the supplementary document, "Three new drug candidates from GNT"