Towa Pharmaceuticals, NTT DATA MANAGEMENT LABORATORY, and VIE STYLE form a business alliance in BrainTech｜Solving Peripheral Symptoms of Dementia

Business Alliance Details

In today's society, where the percentage of the elderly population is increasing, age-related cognitive decline and dementia are recognized as one of the greatest threats to the health of the elderly(*1) . While there has been no progress in fundamental treatments for dementia itself, another challenge is the "behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)" that accompany the core symptoms. Specifically, these symptoms include irritability, agitation/excitement, deinhibition, abnormal behavior, delusions, hallucinations, depression, anxiety, euphoria, apathy, abnormal nighttime behavior, and abnormal eating behavior.

Currently, there is no fundamental treatment for BPSD, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's BPSD guidelines do not recommend drug therapy (*2). (*2) The emergence of effective non-drug therapies is much awaited. The field of applied neuroscience technology, known as BrainTech, is expected to help solve such problems.

Business Promotion Structure and Division of Roles

This is a joint R&D project of three companies: Towa Pharmaceutical, which aims to create a wider range of healthcare services in addition to its existing pharmaceutical business; VIE STYLE, which is developing an earphone-type EEG device; and NTT Data Management Laboratory, which specializes in business development in the field of neurotechnology and has a wealth of experience in the field. NTT Data Management Laboratory, which specializes in business development in the field of neurotechnology and has a wealth of experience in this field.

<Towa Pharmaceuticals Co.
Under the corporate philosophy of "We contribute to people's health We cherish the smiles on people's faces," Towa Pharmaceutical is committed to "maintaining good health" and "restoring people's pre-symptomatic states (pre-disease, MCI, etc.) to a healthy state or preventing them from getting worse" in addition to its core business of generic drugs. We aim to contribute to the "extension of healthy life expectancy" and to be a company that will always be needed by the world and local communities.

In this project, we will leverage our strengths in the "therapeutic" field, which include the development, manufacture, and sale of pharmaceuticals, while taking on the challenge of contributing to the new "preventive and pre-symptomatic" field. The company will also be responsible for creating new health businesses by identifying the health and longevity needs of people both in Japan and overseas, as well as providing an environment for advanced demonstration experiments and developing new customer segments.

＜NTT DATA MANAGEMENT LABORATORY INC.
NTT DATA Management Research Institute is a consulting firm established in 1991 as a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT DATA Corporation. Based on the corporate philosophy of "envisioning a new society and building the "information future" together," we provide policy recommendations through research and study of social trends and analysis of social issues, as well as management consulting services ranging from strategic planning to implementation support for companies. Our NeuroInnovation Unit specializes in business development in the field of neurotechnology and has a wealth of experience in this field, providing technology and business strategy planning and technology development support.

＜VIE STYLE Co.
VIE STYLE is a brain-tech company whose mission is "Live Connected, Feel the Life~" and supports the creation of a sensory-rich society through neurotechnology and entertainment. It has developed an earphone-type electroencephalograph, "VIE ZONE," and is responsible for the development of devices and services such as software and AI for use in daily life.

In-Ear EEG is a technology that has been attracting attention in recent years because it allows users to measure brain waves by simply putting on their earphones as usual, without the complications of EEG measurement devices in daily life that have been a problem in the past (cumbersome to put on, unsightly, etc.).

⚫️VIE ZONE, an earphone-type electroencephalograph

VIE ZONE, an earphone-type electroencephalograph developed by VIE STYLE, is a wearable device that uses an ear-tip as an electrode to acquire brain waves from the ear (ear canal) (Figure 1).

(*1) Bishop, N. A., Lu, T. & Yankner, B. A. Neural mechanisms of aging and cognitive decline. nature 464, 529-535 (2010).
(*2) Office of Dementia Policy Promotion, Division of General Affairs, Bureau of Geriatric Health, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Guidelines for the Use of Psychotropic Drugs for BPSD for Family Practitioners (2nd Edition). (2015)