3DHISTECH and Epredia Open Pathology Innovation Incubator to Accelerate Advancements in Cancer Diagnostics

Budapest, Hungary
March 23, 2023

Two leading pathology and diagnostics companies, 3DHISTECH of Hungary and Epredia, a member of PHC Group (headquartered in Japan), announce the opening of the Pathology Innovation Incubator in Budapest to develop methods and equipment for faster and more precise diagnosis of cancer and tumor lesions. The opening was announced today at an event with the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The aim of the Pathology Innovation Incubator, founded by Epredia and 3DHISTECH, is to develop and improve solutions that revolutionize tumor diagnostics and enable more effective treatment of cancer. The collaboration between the two companies, who are commercial partners in digital slide scanning technology for pathology laboratories, is designed to enable the practical implementation of scientific and theoretical ideas. Both Epredia and 3DHISTECH will support the Pathology Innovation Incubator financially and through knowledge transfer and technology sharing. The development of the Pathology Innovation Incubator was completed in just one year.

The opening ceremony today also marks the start of the first dedicated project for the Pathology Innovation Incubator, with a budget of 1.5 billion HUF (approximately 4 million USD). The aim of that project is to develop a highly complex combined medical technology solution for immunohistochemical (IHC) tests, which are the basis of cancer diagnostics, to improve the effectiveness of personalized diagnostics and support treatment decisions for patients.

Steven Lynum, President of Epredia, said that as the number of cancer patients worldwide continues to increase year after year and cancer diagnostics becomes increasingly complex, advancing innovative diagnostics solutions can make a direct impact on families and society as a whole.

"At Epredia, every second of the day 44 of our products are employed in the fight against cancer. We believe we can make this fight even more effective through improved cancer screening and early diagnosis. We want to develop effective and reliable diagnostic solutions to the current challenges in patient care, thereby increasing the range of options currently available. This is the purpose of our new investment, the Pathology Innovation Incubator, which we have launched together with 3DHISTECH. The collaboration between our companies and our joint success in digital pathology goes back several years. Joint development now offers a forward-looking solution in the field of immunohistochemistry. We are excited to leverage the extensive knowledge base, deep expertise and labor market opportunities available here in Hungary. Our goal is for the Pathology Innovation Incubator to become a global scientific development center that will translate today’s scientific knowledge into clinical applications that contribute to the early and rapid diagnosis of cancer."

-Steven Lynum, President, Epredia

At the opening ceremony in Budapest today, Dr. Béla Molnár, founding CEO of 3DHISTECH, added:

"3DHISTECH has had a highly successful presence in the U.S. for 10 years, and a partnership with Epredia's Anatomical Pathology Division for several years. Together we have tripled the number of pathology digitalization projects under this outstanding partnership. This has proven the value of deepening our collaboration, and we are using this excellent opportunity to create and launch the Pathology Innovation Incubator together. This is not only a financial investment on our part, but also a sharing of know-how from a research perspective, combining our professional knowledge and experience, as well as our industry knowledge and network of contacts, with Epredia's resources to create a unique and world-class innovation center. From an investor perspective, this enables an increase in the market potential of 3DHISTECH and Epredia. In addition to our IHC project, we are already seeing a number of R&D innovations in the incubator center that are bringing together cutting-edge Japanese, American and Hungarian technologies, as well as medical, biological and engineering solutions."

-Dr. Béla Molnár, founding CEO of 3DHISTECH

More information about the Pathology Innovation Incubator is available at https://pi2-innovations.com/eng/

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About 3DHISTECH

Founded in 1996, the Hungarian-based 3DHISTECH is the first European manufacturer of digital pathology, and one of the global market leaders. 3DHISTECH is one of the pioneers in digital pathology, developing and manufacturing digital slide scanners, software applications for digital slides, and other products, including tissue microarray machinery – supporting not only routine human pathology but also medical and pharmaceutical research, medical education, veterinary pathology as well as geology.

We commit our human and financial resources entirely to the development of digital pathology solutions. 3DHISTECH is dedicated to providing clinical pathologists, researchers, and universities with digital pathology solutions to facilitate quick and accurate diagnostics, support medical discoveries, and foster education. Our long-term goal is to fully digitalize the traditional pathology workflow, so that it can adapt to the ever-growing demands of healthcare today, significantly reducing diagnostic time and optimizing routine diagnostics and developments in cancer research.

About Epredia

Epredia is a global leader in the anatomical pathology field, providing comprehensive solutions for precision cancer diagnostics and tissue diagnostics. Powered by key brands, including Erie Scientific, Menzel-Gläser, Microm, Shandon, and Richard-Allan Scientific, Epredia’s portfolio includes microscope slides, instruments and consumables. Epredia was established following the acquisition of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Anatomical Pathology business by PHC Holdings in 2019. Epredia has operations in major sites in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and China with a total of around 1,200 employees. Epredia is committed to achieving its mission to improve lives by enhancing cancer diagnostics for patients around the world. For further information on Epredia and its products, please visit www.epredia.com.

About PHC Holdings Corporation (PHC Group)

PHC Holdings Corporation (TSE 6523) is a global healthcare company with a mission of contributing to the health of society through healthcare solutions that have a positive impact and improve the lives of people. Its subsidiaries (referred to collectively as PHC Group) include PHC Corporation, Epredia, Ascensia Diabetes Care, LSI Medience Corporation, Mediford, and Wemex. Together, these companies develop, manufacture, sell and service solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, life sciences and diagnostics. PHC Group’s consolidated net sales in FY2022 were JPY 356.4 billion with global distribution of products and services in more than 125 countries.
www.phchd.com

For more information, please contact:

Julia Cottrill
PHC Group Corporate Communications
Email: julia.cottrill@phchd.com