PENTAX Medical acquires majority stake in PlasmaBiotics SAS, a technology innovator focused on the ultra-fast channel drying and active storage of endoscopes

TOKYO,Aug. 1,2018 -- PENTAX Medical,a division of the HOYA Group,announced that it has acquired a controlling interest inPlasmaBiotics SAS,based in Paris,France,a company that designs,manufactures and markets devices for drying and storage of endoscopes.

Hygiene is akeystrategic pillar for PENTAX Medical. The investment in PlasmaBiotics will strengthen PENTAX Medical's hygiene portfolio and its continued focus on reducing cross-contamination risksto enhance patient safetyin endoscopy.Other portfolio additions of note include the recently launched DEC™ Video Duodenoscope,with a sterile disposable elevator capand single-use reprocessing accessories.

PlasmaBiotics specializes in the drying and storage of endoscopes. Itscore products are the PlasmaTYPHOON,an ultra-fast drying unit for endoscopes,and the PlasmaBAG,a single-use device for active storage with plasma. The products deliver superior and efficient performance by significantly reducing endoscope reprocessing cycle times. These innovations minimize the risk of bacterial contamination through a highly effective drying mechanism for the endoscopic channels and active storing of the endoscopes with plasma. The PlasmaBiotics products also integrate fairly easily into most current endoscope reprocessing protocols.

"The investment in PlasmaBiotics enables us to provide our customers with an efficient and effective drying and storage solution to address unmet hygiene needs associated with endoscope reprocessing. For duodenoscopes we have worked to address the hygiene of the Albarran lever and the hoods through our disposable elevator cap and now with PlasmaBiotics we can provide highly innovative technology for the critical step of drying and storing of endoscopes," said Rainer Burkard,Managing Director of PENTAX Europe GmbH and President of PENTAX Medical EMEA.

"PlasmaBiotics is excited to join the HOYA Group as a part of the PENTAX Team. This is an important step for PlasmaBiotics as we continue to receive enthusiastic responses from our clients onPlasmaTYPHOON's performance,ease of use and effectiveness. Having the additional global resources of PENTAX Medical will enable us to accelerate and expand our commercialization activities," commented Dr. Daniel Vinteler,CEO and Founder of PlasmaBiotics.

"Our PlasmaBiotics investment continues the HOYA Group's externalization activities to identify and source innovative and differentiated technology and products from early-stage and emerging companies.Through our HOYA Group's M&A and Venture Capital teams,and our Divisional Business Development groups,we aim to foster and build strong collaborations and alliances with industry and academia," said Augustine Yee,Chief Legal Officer and Global Head of Corporate Development and Affairs of HOYA Corporation. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About PENTAX Medical

PENTAX Medical is a division of HOYA Group. Its mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on QUALITY,CLINICALLY RELEVANT INNOVATION,and SIMPLICITY. Through leading edge R&D and manufacturing,PENTAX Medical provides endoscopic imaging devices and solutions to the global medical community. Headquartered in Japan,PENTAX Medical has a worldwide focus and presence with R&D,regional sales,service,and in-country facilities around the globe. For more information,please visit: www.pentaxmedical.com.

About HOYA

Founded in 1941 in Tokyo,Japan,HOYA Corporation is a global technology and med-tech company,and a leading supplier of innovative high-tech and medical products. Hoya is active in the fields of healthcare and information technology,providing eyeglasses,medical endoscopes,intraocular lenses,optical lenses,as well as key components for semiconductor devices,LCD panels and hard disk drives. With over 150 offices and subsidiaries worldwide,HOYA currently employs a multinational workforce of 38,000 people. For more information,please visit http://www.hoya.com.

About PlasmaBiotics

PlasmaBiotics is a young innovative company that was founded in 2011 and located in Paris,France. The core focus of Plasmabiotics,addressed through its core products,the PlasmaTYPHOON,is to increase the efficiency of hospitals and to minimize the risk of bacterial contamination. For more information,please visit https://www.plasmabiotics.com.