Drawbridge Health Announces Partnerships to Fuel Expansion in Japan
MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Drawbridge Health, a healthcare technology company redefining the blood draw experience for both patients and healthcare providers, today announced a further investment from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. ("Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma") as well as a new research and development collaboration agreement. Drawbridge Health also reported that it has secured a strategic investment from new investor TOHO HOLDINGS CO., LTD. ("TOHO HOLDINGS"), in addition to a follow-on investment from Kyoto University Innovation Capital ("KYOTO-iCAP"). The investments will fuel Drawbridge Health's expansion in the Japanese market and support adoption of the company's innovative blood collection technology, the OneDraw™ Blood Collection Device.
The collaboration between Drawbridge Health and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma will focus initially on the development of a biomarker panel for lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and diabetic complications. "Our research and development collaboration with Drawbridge Health has been undertaken to address the significant concern in Japan around lifestyle-related diseases by embracing OneDraw as a novel, transformative innovation" said Hiroyuki Baba, Senior Executive Officer at Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma.
Professor Nobuya Inagaki, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition at Kyoto University further highlighted the significance of the collaboration between Drawbridge Health and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma. "This collaboration is forward-thinking, as it will help advance much-needed initiatives, resources and support the expansion of telemedicine in the Japanese medical field, particularly for lifestyle-related diseases."
"There is tremendous potential for changing the trajectory of diabetes and lifestyle disease in Japan with the OneDraw device. We are excited to partner with Drawbridge Health to improve the health of millions," said Mr. Atsushi Udoh, President and Representative Director, TOHO HOLDINGS.
"Globally, 2020 has proven that healthcare systems must quickly adapt to unexpected and ongoing challenges. Access to health information is more important than ever, and we appreciate the commitments from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and TOHO HOLDINGS as we continue our growth and vision in Japan. We also continue to be extremely grateful for the ongoing collaboration and relationship with Kyoto University and KYOTO-iCAP," said Lee McCracken, CEO of Drawbridge Health.
Drawbridge Health is committed to improving healthcare globally through more accessible blood sampling, beginning with the 2019 FDA-cleared and 2020 CE-marked OneDraw A1C Test System. OneDraw is a small, single use device that draws, collects, and stabilizes a capillary blood sample from the upper arm. This novel device is easy to use and enables blood to be drawn comfortably and conveniently without the need to visit a lab.
About Drawbridge Health
Founded in 2015 by GE Ventures and GE Healthcare, Drawbridge Health is a healthcare technology company focused on reinventing the blood draw experience, enabling comfortable convenient blood sample collection anytime and anywhere. By integrating engineering, chemistries, and modular design, Drawbridge Health has developed a people-friendly system for collecting and stabilizing blood samples, opening new doors to enable access to important health information. For more information, please visit www.drawbridgehealth.com.
Contact:
Eddy Garcia
[email protected]
Learn more about the investors:
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma
TOHO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
KYOTO-iCAP
SOURCE Drawbridge Health
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