Eiken's History | About Eiken | EIKEN CHEMICAL CO.,LTD,

1939

Company founded by Tsuyoshi Kurozumi and others as Koa Kagakukogyo Co., Ltd. (Katsushika-ku, Tokyo)

Launched manufacturing and sales of nutritional foods and medical supplies made with livestock organs as raw materials

1940

Company name changed to Koa Eiyokagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd.

1943

Exclusive distribution agreement and capital alliance executed with Tanabe Seiyaku Co., Ltd.

1946

Company name changed to Nihon Eiyokagaku Co., Ltd.

Nihon Eiyokagaku NEK logo

Nihon Eiyokagaku carbon logo

Research laboratory interior

Laboratory staff posed around Tsuyoshi Kurozumi, President

1950

Launched sales of bacterial testing products

Powdered agar for the detection of bacteria (SS Agar "Eiken")

First company to succeed in creating a powdered agar for the detection of bacteria (isolation of typhoid and shigella bacteria), contributing to the development of communicable disease control and public health in Japan

1955

First published "Modern Media," a clinical diagnostics academic information magazine

Modern Media August 1955 issue

1958

Launched sales of bacterial drug sensitivity testing reagents (disk diffusion method)

Launched sales of tuberculosis culture medium "Ogawa Agar 'Eiken'"

1959

Founded EIKEN KIZAI CO., LTD.

1960

Completed new plant in Katsushika (Katsushika-ku, Tokyo: Katsushika Office)
Established the Clinical Diagnostics Division the following year and launched research and development of in vitro diagnostics

Opened Nihon Eiyokagaku Plant 1 and Plant 2

1963

Launched sales of clinical chemistry reagents

"Alkaline Phosphatase Tube 'Eiken'"

Launched sales of urinalysis test reagents

"Uropaper A 'Eiken'" and "Uropaper B 'Eiken'"

Launched sales of immunological and serological reagents

Hemolytic streptococcal infection testing reagent "Streptolysin O 'Eiken'"

1965

Completed phase-one construction of the Nogi Plant (Nogi, Tochigi: Nogi Division) and launched production

Completed Nogi Plant phase-one construction

Launched sales of blood culture medium bottles

"Culture Bottle No. 2"

Started the Saburo Kojima Memorial Society (business taken over by Kurozumi Medical Foundation (K M F) in 1993)

1967

Launched sales of latex agglutination immunological and serological reagents

Rheumatoid factor measurement reagent "RA Reagent 'Eiken'"

1969

Company name changed to Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd. on the 30th anniversary of its founding

Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd. company badge

1973

Launched sales of "Pore Media" prepared culture medium

"Pore Media"

1975

Completed Eiken Immunochemical Research Laboratory (Kita-ku, Tokyo: Oji Office) and launched operations

Eiken Immunochemical Research Laboratory

Launched sales of Radioimmunoassay (RIA) reagents

Launched sales of slide plate agglutination reagents using latex agglutination reaction

"Gestate Slide 'Eiken'"

1977

Launched sales of bacterial identification reagents

Launched sales of the first immunological and serological reagents developed with a pioneering method that does not dilute the specimen

"RA77 'Eiken'"

1980

Completed new headquarters building (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo) and launched operations

New headquarters building

1981

Tsuyoshi Kurozumi, President, awarded the 4th Order of the Sacred Treasure for his achievements contributing to the improvement of health and hygiene both inside and outside of Japan

Launched sales of immunological and serological reagents using the SRID method

Opened the Toda Research Laboratory

1982

Launched sales of reagents related to enzyme immunoassay methods (EIA method and ELISA method)

Launched sales of specialized reagents for use with fully-automated immunochemical analyzer using a latex agglutination reaction

"LA-SYSTEM"

1984

Completed phase-one construction for the Nasu Plant (Otawara, Tochigi: Nasu Office) and launched production

Nasu Plant

Launched sales of urinary salt content measurement reagents

"Saltpaper 'Eiken'"

1985

Launched sales of "KB Disk 'Eiken'" bacterial drug sensitivity testing reagents

1986

Appointed Tadao Kurozumi as President and Representative Director

Tadao Kurozumi with Tsuyoshi

Launched sales of blood glucose self monitoring equipment and reagents

1987

Launched sales of in vivo diagnostic contrast media

"Hexabrix 320"

Launched sales of fecal immunochemical test reagents

"OC-Hemodia"

Launched sales of the "BACTSYSTEM" bacterial data management system

1988

Opened resident office in San Diego, USA

Launched sales of bacterial drug sensitivity testing reagents (fluid culture dilution method)

Launched distribution of Tosoh Corporation enzyme immunoassay equipment (AIA) and dedicated reagents

1989

Launched sales of the world's first fully-automated fecal occult blood analyzer and dedicated reagents

"OC-SENSOR"

1990

Listed stock in the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange

January 29, 1990 Nihon Keizai Shimbun

1991

Launched sales of "Uropaper GP 'Eiken'" OTC urinalysis test strip

1992

Completed Biochemical Research Laboratory (Nogi, Tochigi) and launched operations

Biochemical Research Laboratory

Launched sales of automated urine analyzer

"US-2100"

Closed Katsushika Office and Toda Research Laboratory

1993

Established the Kurozumi Medical Foundation (K M F), presented first research grants

Launched sales of "LZ Series" reagents for clinical chemistry analyzers using the latex agglutination reaction

Launched sales of "Lumispot AL-1000" chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer and dedicated reagents

Began overseas expansion of fecal immunochemical test reagents and analyzer business

1994

Launched sales of fecal immunochemical test reagents for manual

"OC-Hemocatch 'Eiken'"

1996

Launched sales of "US-3100" and "US-3200" fully-automated urine analyzer and "Uropaper α II 'Eiken'" dedicated reagents

1999

Announced development of LAMP method new gene amplification technology

Launched sales of "US-2100R" automated urine analyzer

2000

Launched sales of "OC-SENSOR μ(Micro)" fully-automated fecal occult blood analyzer

2001

Terminated sales agreement with Tanabe Seiyaku, began in-house sales of in vitro diagnostics and equipment (terminated capital alliance in 2007)

Launched sales of "OC-SENSOR neo" fully-automated fecal occult blood analyzer

Launched sales of "US-3100R" fully-automated urine analyzer

2002

Selected as one of the specified brands of the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section

Launched sales of "Loopamp Series" genetic testing reagents and measurement equipment utilizing LAMP

"Loopamp Bovine Embryo Sexing Kit"

2003

Launched sales of for LAMP-based in vitro diagnostics

"Loopamp SARS-CoV detection kit"

2004

Established EIKEN SHANGHAI CO., LTD. (currently EIKEN CHINA CO., LTD.)

EIKEN SHANGHAI CO., LTD.

2005

Acquired ISO13485 and ISO9001 certifications

Executed a joint development contract with FIND for a rapid genetic tuberculosis detection method based on the LAMP method

Launched sales of "US-1000" automated urine analyzer

2006

Executed a business partnership agreement and capital alliance with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Launched sales of "Dry Plate 'Eiken' 192" bacterial drug sensitivity testing reagent plates

"Dry Plate 'Eiken' 192" plates

2007

Participated in planning for the BRAVE CIRCLE campaign to eradicate colorectal cancer

Launched sales of "OC-SENSOR DIANA" fully-automated fecal occult blood analyzer

Merged with EIKEN KIZAI CO., LTD., previously a subsidiary

Launched sales of "US-3300" fully-automated urine analyzer

Appointed Tetsuya Teramoto as President and CEO

Tetsuya Teramoto

2008

Relocated headquarters and integrated three Tokyo offices (Taito-ku, Tokyo)

Successfully developed the procedure for ultra rapid extraction method (PURE method) for use with the LAMP method

Launched sales of "US-2200" automated urine analyzer

Launched sales of "US-3100Rplus" fully-automated urine analyzer

2009

Launched sales of "LoopampEXIA (LA-500)" real-time turbidimeter for LAMP

"LoopampEXIA"

Launched sales of "OC-SENSOR io" fully-automated fecal occult blood analyzer

2010

Acquired ISO14001 certification

2011

Established Europe office in Amsterdam, Holland

2012

Completed Operation Management Center (OMC Building) at the Nogi Division and launched operations

OMC Building

Launched sales of "Immunocatch Series" rapid diagnostics test kits

"Immunocatch-Noro"

Launched sales of fully-automated bioluminescent enzyme immunoassay analyzer and dedicated reagents

"BLEIA-1200"

2014

Appointed Morifumi Wada as President and CEO

Morifumi Wada

Launched sales of "OC-SENSOR PLEDIA" fully-automated fecal occult blood analyzer

"OC-SENSOR PLEDIA"

2015

Began development of compact, next-generation fully-automated genetic testing equipment and multi-item testing chips utilizing LAMP

Launched sales of "US-3500" fully-automated urine analyzer

"US-3500"

2016

Formed a tie-up with Sysmex Corporation for the urine chemistry testing business in overseas markets

LAMP-based tuberculosis molecular diagnostics (TB-LAMP) recommended by WHO

WHO recommendation

Executed global distribution contracts for tuberculosis and malaria genetic diagnostic reagents and equipment use of the LAMP method through agreement with HUMAN, Germany

Completed Dried Product Plant (DPP Building) at the Nogi Division, established an expanded production line for urinalysis test strips

DPP Building