News

Kuraray Medical Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Hideo Horii; hereafter Kuraray Medical) is holding a dedication ceremony today for its hollow fiber manufacturing facility for use in high-performance dialyzers. The facility has been set up at the Kurashiki Plant at Tamashima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, and has completed trial operations.

The hollow fiber for application in high-performance dialyzers that is manufactured at the Kurashiki Plant, uses the commercialized EVOH polymer resin (trademark registered by Kuraray as EVAL), which Kuraray pioneered worldwide. The membrane dialyzer utilizing EVAL offers excellent biocompatibility, and is attracting high praise for reducing radical oxygen generation and inflammatory reactions.

The hollow fiber will be combined with the high-performance dialyzer, which will be marketed under the brand name Evabrane EK at the Mie Plant (located at Bungo-ono city in Oita Prefecture) of Kawasumi Laboratories Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Ichiro Tomio). Both Kawasumi Laboratories and Kuraray Medical will conduct sales.

Overview of the hollow-fiber membrane manufacturing plant:

Location Kuraray Medical Inc., Tamashimaotoshima 7471, Kurashiki City,
Okayama Prefecture
Production capacity 2 million units per year
Start of volume production November 2005
Capital investment approximately ¥2,000,000,000

Kuraray Medical Inc.

President Hideo Horii
Headquarters Otemachi 1-1-3, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Common stock ¥2,500,000,000 as of March 31, 2005; (100% Kuraray Co., Ltd.)
Employees 365 (as of March 31, 2005)
Products The development, manufacture and sale of membranes for dialyzers, dental adhesives, various resins for medical applications.