ZOLL Names Asahi Kasei Exclusive Distributor for ZOLL AED Plus in Japan

ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, announced that it has granted exclusive rights to Asahi Kasei Corporation, Tokyo, to import and distribute the ZOLL AED Plus® in Japan through its subsidiary, ADMIS Inc. The AED Plus is an automated external defibrillator that incorporates ZOLL’s real-time CPR feedback technology, Real CPR Help®, which assists rescuers in delivering high-quality CPR to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) victims. The AED Plus will be the only AED with CPR feedback capability available in the Japanese market. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), the country’s equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, granted approval of the import and distribution of the AED Plus in July 2010. This agreement with ZOLL marks the beginning of Asahi Kasei’s launch into the emergency and critical care area, and the two companies will advance further discussion on possible alliances for marketing, sales, and R&D in other medical devices and health care-related businesses. The expansion of health care-related businesses is a key strategic pillar of the Asahi Kasei Group’s new mid-term initiative “For Tomorrow 2015,” with a focus on “living in health and comfort.” Asahi Kasei has launched a “Health Care for Tomorrow” project to advance the strategic creation of new businesses, not only through the combination of various group businesses ranging from housing and electronics to health care, but also through alliances with other companies. The market for AEDs in Japan is the second largest market following the US. Since approval of the use of AEDs by non-medical professionals in 2004, it has expanded to 70,000-80,000 units annually with a value of approximately $200 million. “The distribution agreement with Asahi Kasei for the AED Plus is a significant milestone that will open up many additional opportunities for growth in this important market,” said Jonathan Rennert, President of ZOLL. “The introduction of real-time feedback will help rescuers administer high-quality CPR, which is an important factor in successful resuscitation from sudden cardiac arrest.” As in the United States, sudden cardiac death is a major public health problem in Japan, with about 63,000 deaths annually. Many are potentially preventable with widespread availability of AEDs and high-quality performance of CPR.