Fujitsu Signs Agreements for Collaborative Research with Advanced Medical Research Institutions with the Aim of Extending Healthy Life Expectancy

Tokyo, December 24, 2014

Fujitsu today announced that it has reached separate agreements with three national centers for advanced medical research and with Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) with the goal of creating and disseminating a model for medicine that uses ICT. The three research institutions are: National Cancer Center, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, and National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology.

Fujitsu has partnered with these three national centers for advanced medical research to conduct joint research aimed at preventing and fighting the leading causes of death in Japan, which are cancer, diseases of the circulatory system, and neurological diseases. The research will focus on each institution's respective area of expertise.

Together with Professor Hiroshi Tanaka of TMDU, joint research will focus on developing big data analysis methods applied to medicine, which may hold the key to preventing serious illnesses.

Fujitsu plans to begin conducting joint research with these organizations to identify specific research topics with each institution by March 2015.

Background

Since it first offered a medical-accounting system in the 1970s, Fujitsu has created Japan's top-tier system engineer organization and has built medical information systems that have contributed to the smooth operations of numerous medical institutions. Building on the technology and expertise it has developed through the years, as well as the Japan Revitalization Strategy theme of "extending healthy life expectancy," Fujitsu established the Next-Generation Healthcare Innovation Center in December 2013. Since its founding, the center has conducted a number of studies with advanced medical research institutions and specialists in Japan and around the world on such topics as promoting public health, preventing serious diseases, early diagnosis of diseases, new drug discovery, and personalized medicine. Now Fujitsu has reached separate agreements to conduct joint research with each of these four advanced medical research institutions.

Research Topics

1. Joint research with National Cancer Center (NCC)

1. Research topics

   Integrating treatment information with genomic information needed for Medical Genome Center⁽¹⁾.

2. Division of responsibilities

   NCC: Explain and obtain consent at the point of genomic treatment for cancer; analyze genomic information from cancerous cells and healthy cells in each patient; other medically relevant reporting
   Fujitsu: Study and test a genomic medical system platform with advanced security and accessibility.

3. Organization

   NCC: laboratories
   Fujitsu: Next-Generation Healthcare Innovation Center

4. Term and deliverables

   Plan to create a prototype by the end of fiscal 2016

5. Expected impact

   Development of genomic medical care that mobilizes the newest genomic medical science, ICT technology and knowledge for the treatment, prevention and preemptive treatment of cancer

2. Joint research with National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center (NCVC)

1. Research topics

   Collection of digital health records of cardiovascular patients and the construction of a database analysis system.

2. Division of responsibilities

   NCVC: Planning
   Fujitsu: Build a database for storing health and medical information and develop an analysis system.

3. Organization

   NCVC: Research and Development Platform Center (Center for Cerebral and Cardiovascular Disease Information, Department of Intellectual Asset Management, and others.)
   Fujitsu: Next-Generation Healthcare Innovation Center

4. Term and deliverables

   Aim to complete Medical Evidence Based System⁽²⁾ and program development by the end of fiscal 2018.

5. Expected impact

   Creation of new medical services and health-related businesses utilizing ICT, such as prevention and preemptive medical care for the onset and advancing severity of disease in cardiovascular patients.

3. Joint research with National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG)

1. Research topics

   Construction of an early detection system for dementia. Accumulate medical and daily activity information from subjects and use big data to technology that predicts signs of dementia.

2. Division of responsibilities

   NCGG: Field management, planning, data collection and analysis
   Fujitsu: Construction of a data collection platform, development of an analysis system

3. Organization

   NCGG: Department of Functioning Activation
   Fujitsu: Next-Generation Healthcare Innovation Center

4. Term and deliverables

   Aim to develop a system that can discover signs of dementia by the end of fiscal 2018.

5. Expected impact

   Development of systems for the early treatment and prevention of dementia by using big data for early detection, and creation of related services and new businesses.

4. Joint research with Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU)

1. Research topics

   Establishment of a database that integrates omics⁽³⁾, and analytical techniques. Conduct research on information collection methods and information construction methods related to next-generation medical care systems that use omics as a platform.

2. Division of responsibilities

   TMDU: Planning, data collection and analysis
   Fujitsu: Construction of a data collection platform, development of an analysis system

3. Organization

   TMDU: Planning, data collection and analysis.
   Fujitsu: Life Innovation Business Unit, Healthcare & Educational Systems Business Group

4. Term and deliverables

   Creation of a prototype by the end of fiscal 2014

5. Expected impact

   Establishment of a construction format and methods to effectively collect clinical information (omics), and lifestyle information, and the development of analytical methods to bring personalized medicine to the front lines of clinical care.