In 1974 we began manufacturing a hollow fiber dialyzer developed using our original cellulose fiber technology based on our long experience as a chemical and fiber maker. In the years since then, we have worked to improve the quality-consistency and technology of dialyzers and dialyzer system technology to meet growing demand for hemodialysis therapy at home and abroad. Our dialyzers are used worldwide and in many facilities throughout Japan.

The hemodialysis business that we pioneered in Japan and overseas forms the foundation that supports the Asahi Kasei Group’s medical enterprises. Our expertise in separation technology using membranes and adsorbents is contributing to the development and widespread adoption of advanced treatment technologies for improved safety in therapeutic apheresis and blood products for transfusion.

Our apheresis business grew out of the Asahi Kasei Group’s dialyzer business, leveraging our state-of-the-art membrane separation and adsorption separation technology platform combined with our extensive hematological knowledge.

We began developing our apheresis technology in the latter half of the 1970s with a simple plasma exchange membrane that separates blood cells from plasma for the treatment of acute liver failure (fulminant hepatitis). In the mid-1980s we went on to develop plasma component separator and plasma adsorption technology that could selectively adsorb and remove pathogenic substances. This progress in apheresis technology greatly expanded the variety of conditions that could be treated. With the revision of Japan’s Pharmaceutical Affairs Law in the early 1990s, the value of apheresis grew as a novel alternative therapy for intractable diseases.

We make and market a range of apheresis products used to treat more than 30 disorders covered by Japan’s national health insurance. They are also widely used abroad. This is a prime example of how the Asahi Kasei Group’s medical enterprises are creating value by finding answers to unmet medical needs.

Our autologous blood related business aim to contribute to safer and higher quality medical care by utilizing patients' autologous blood.
We offer automated device and kits for the production of completely autologous fibrin glue from autologous plasma, blood bag system for leukocyte removal before storage with autologous blood preservation fluid.
The automated device produces completely autologous fibrin glue from autologous plasma of the patient's own plasma, thus avoiding the risk of infection which could not be completely ruled out by the use of biological products.
The autologous blood storage kit product that combines a blood bag system for white blood cell removal with a blood storage solution improves the quality and safety of blood during autologous blood transfusion by removing white blood cells.

Our bioprocess business is built on the manufacturing and marketing of the world’s first cellulose filter designed specifically for virus removal in biotherapeutics. It was developed through a combination of hematological know-how and membrane separation technology leveraging the Asahi Kasei Group’s state-of-the-art technology platform.

Commercialized under the name Planova, our virus removal filters are used in the manufacture of biotherapeutics, such as biopharmaceuticals and plasma derivatives. In the early days, the business struggled to achieve profitability, but we carried on in response to the critical needs of customers and at the behest of regulatory authorities. It was not long before Planova filters became widely adopted by manufacturers of plasma derivatives and biopharmaceuticals, achieving the global reputation for excellence they enjoy to this day. With the establishment of Asahi Kasei Bioprocess, we are expanding our business as a strategic growth driver for the Asahi Kasei Group’s medical enterprises.