Company Outline

Company Name Toray Medical Company Limited
Head Office 4-1, Nihonbashi-Honcho 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
103-0023, Japan
Established January, 1980
President Mitsuru Tanabe
Paid-in Capital US$ 13.33 million (US$=100 Japanese Yen)
Number of Employees 472
Net Sales US$ 434 million (US$=100 Japanese Yen)

(As of March 31, 2023)

Product Development at TORAY

Toray Medical Co. Ltd. is a member company of the Toray Group, specializing in healthcare field business. Toray Industries, Inc. (TORAY), the core company of the group is a leading chemical manufacturer established in 1926. Toray Group covers wide range of business segments including Fiber & Textiles, Plastics & Chemicals, IT Related Products, Carbon Fiber Composite Materials and Life Science & Other businesses and its consolidated sales reach 15 billion US$.

In the early 70's, TORAY focused its R & D activities on the development of medical products. In 1977, TORAY launched Filtryzer® the world's first gamma-ray sterilized, hollow fiber dialyzer using synthetic membrane. The PMMA (poly-methyl methacrylate) membrane newly developed for Filtryzer® shows excellent biocompatibility and well-balanced removal capability of small and middle molecular substances. Anthron® catheters, with a unique anti-thrombogenic coating, were also introduced to the market in 1977.

Since then, TORAY has kept developing innovative medical devices using its renowned technologies in three major product fields.

1.Dialysis-related products

Along with Filtryzer®, TORAY launched a dialysis monitor with precise UF volumetric control function. TORAY's original double-chamber system was adopted in various types of dialysis monitors and single-patient dialysis machines of following generations. TORAY also developed a new series of Toraysulfone® and Toraylight® dialyzers made of polysulfone membrane.

2.Critical Care-related products

Even today, sepsis is a life-threatening complication. Through a long-term collaboration with Shiga University of Medical Science, TORAY developed Toraymyxin® an extracorporeal hemoperfusion cartridge to remove endotoxin, considered a cause of sepsis. Toraymyxin® eases the condition of sepsis patients and retrospective study demonstrates improvement of mortality. TORAY has also developed hemofilters for continuous renal replacement therapy.

3.Interventional Cardiology-related products

In today's environment, "minimally invasive" treatments using catheters are routinely conducted instead of surgery in select patients. Developed by TORAY in close collaboration with Dr. Kanji Inoue, the Inoue-Balloon™ is the world's first catheter specifically designed for PTMC (Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy).

TORAY has also developed original products in the pharmaceutical field. Feron®, the world's first natural interferon-β preparation, was launched in 1985 and is widely used today for the treatment of Hepatitis B and C, Melanoma, and Brain Tumors. In 1992, Dorner®, the world's first orally active PGI2 was launched, indicated for Chronic Arterial Occlusion and Pulmonary Hypertension. TORAY's newest product, Remitch® Capsules 2.5µg, launched in March 2009. It is the world's first selective kappa opioid receptor agonist, indicated for the improvement of pruritus in hemodialysis patients.

Business activities at Toray Medical

In addition to the TORAY brand medical devices and pharmaceuticals, we have expanded our product line with high quality medical products procured from suppliers outside of the Toray Group. In the dialysis field, we offer a full range of products including dialyzers, machines, tubing sets and vascular access. Various machines and equipment for dialysis such as an RO water purification system, multi-patient dialysate supply system, dialysis machines, and monitors are now manufactured at our Shizuoka Plant. Additionally, though the development of close relationships with manufacturers from around the globe, we are importing many products such as specialty surgical gloves. All of these products are supplied to healthcare facilities in Japan through our national sales network.

Many of TORAY's products are exported to various countries around the globe and are supplied through a strong network of local distributors. At Toray Medical, we are dedicated to providing high quality medical products to support high quality healthcare worldwide.