Singapore: Japan-headquartered Eisai and its diagnostics business subsidiary Eidia have decided to dissolve and absorb their jointly owned diagnostics research and development subsidiary, Palma Bee'Z Research Institute, effective March 31, 2013. The move is part of the Eisai's efforts to go ahead with the transformation of its in vitro diagnostics development function, and aims to strengthen the group's product creation structure to reflect its focus on personalized medicine.

Palma Bee'Z was established on May 13, 2002, with the primary objective of conducting research and development of diagnostics applying gene signal amplification technology discovered in-house at Eidia.

With recent advances in the field of human biology, the development of companion diagnostics, such as gene-testing agents, and other initiatives in personalized medicine are increasingly becoming an important strategy for the Eisai Group. On June 1, 2012, with the aim of achieving early developments in in vitro diagnostics, including companion diagnostics, the Eisai Group merged Eisai's Biomarker Personalized Medicine Core Function Unit (BPM CFU), which is in charge of biomarker research, with Eidia's diagnostics research and development function. This led to the establishment of a new in vitro diagnostics research organization, the Diagnostic Development Department, within the BPM CFU. Through Palma Bee'z dissolution and absorption into this newly established organization, Eisai expects to further enhance its product creation structure, aiming to continue to realize early development of in vitro diagnostics.