FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) announced today it has entered into an agreement on May 16 to acquire medwork GmbH (head office in Bayern, Germany), a company that develops, manufactures and markets instruments for therapeutic and diagnostic endoscopy. The company will be a 100%-owned subsidiary of Fujifilm group. The acquisition marks Fujifilm's full-scale entry into the endoscopic instrument business.

Endoscopic instruments are medical devices used in combination with endoscopes for applications such as resecting a tumor in the digestive system and used in the gastroenterology and other departments. They are mostly single-use products. The demand for minimally-invasive endoscopic examination and treatments are increasing globally due to its low strains on patients, and the market for endoscopic instruments is expected to have strong growth. On the other hand the needs for the products are also diversifying as the method of examination and treatment varies depending on countries and regions.
medwork develops, manufactures and markets endoscopic instruments in-house. Based in Germany, the company boasts high quality of its products, used in endoscopic treatments on bile duct, pancreatic duct and digestive tract, and an extensive product lineup catering to a wide range of applications including lithotrity, polypectomy and biopsy* , distributed in Europe and Asia, including Japan. In Europe, the company has built a solid reputation by offering swift delivery services, including same-day delivery, which support the requirement of medical products.

In the endoscopy business, Fujifilm supplies various products globally, including products designed for easy-to-use diagnosis and reduced physical strains on patients, as well as endoscopic systems that incorporate high contrast imaging functions to facilitate the identification of small lesions. High-contrast imaging functions include BLI (Blue Light Imaging), which highlights fine blood vessels and structures in mucosal surface of organs, and LCI (Linked Color Imaging), which accentuates subtle tonal differences in red coloration in endoscopic images. As for endoscopic instruments, the company has supplied instruments mainly for minimally-invasive treatment called ESD (endoscopic submucosal dissection), designed for ease of use.
Fujifilm's latest move to acquire medwork and turn it into its 100%-owened subsidiary will significantly expand its product lineup in the area of endoscopic instrumentation. Fujifilm will tap into relationship it has fostered with medical practitioners in various countries through past endoscopic business, collaborate with medwork in developing products that meet their needs more than ever before, and distribute such instruments around the world through the company's global sales networks.

Fujifilm will continue to meet diverse needs at the medical frontline, thereby streamlining medical tests, improving the quality of healthcare and contributing to the promotion of people's health.

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