Hisashi Ietsugu President

In the wake of progress in medical technology and improvements in the quality of life, we have moved further to an aging society with growing concern about the deterioration of medical finances. On the other hand, the nation's health awareness is improving and disease prevention and life span extension has attracted greater interest. There has been a shift in what the public expects from medical care services from “treatment” to “prevention” and “prognostic prediction.”

Clinical testing has conventionally played an important role as a support in the diagnosis of diseases and the determination of treatment policies. The advent of new examination technologies such as genetic diagnostics has called into greater prominence the role and function of early disease detection, early treatment as well as prevention and convalescence monitoring and added to their importance.

The Japan Association of Clinical Reagents Industries is a Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare-approved Public Corporation consisting of in vitro diagnostic reagent manufacturers and vendors. It develops testing system and test reagents harnessing a wide range of technologies from medicine through pharmacology and science to engineering and manufacture and supplies high-quality products in approved factories in accordance with the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. The Association also cooperates with other Scientific Societies and organizations in a commitment to promote test standardization, so that high-quality test results and accurate diagnostic data can be obtained in medical institutions throughout the country.

Through the development of new testing techniques and test items by taking advantage of leading-edge technology, including Life Science and Information Technology (IT), the Association has made a significant contribution to advances in the nation’s health management and improvement as well as welfare and well-being, and embraces an ongoing commitment to fulfill its mission of contributing to medical economy.