A major pharmaceutical company, Shionogi Pharmaceutical, and an analytical instrument manufacturer, Shimadzu Corporation, have established a joint venture to detect the new coronavirus contained in sewage and investigate signs of spread or convergence of the infection.
On the 8th, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which has its head office in Osaka City, and Shimadzu Corporation, which has its head office in Kyoto City, announced that they have established a new company with a 50% stake.
The new coronavirus is said to be contained in the sewage of the place where the infected person develops or is asymptomatic, and by examining the amount of the virus in the sewage, the spread and convergence of the infection can be grasped at an early stage. It has been with.
Both companies have been conducting technological development and demonstration experiments since the spread of the new corona infection, but they would like to accelerate research and development by consolidating their businesses into a new company and promote practical application in sewage treatment plants. is.
Isao Teshiroki, president of Shionogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., said, "The first step in dealing with infectious diseases is to catch the epidemic quickly. This technology has a huge role to play."
Mr. Teruhisa Ueda, President of Shimadzu Corporation, said, "By establishing a new company, we would like to establish it as a business, not just research."