April 26, 2021 – Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB) and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Tokyo:7272) announced today continuation of their collaboration to provide solutions that deepen our understanding of predictive diagnostics, with the overall goal to generate a predictive in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test.

HUB and Yamaha Motor have announced the continuation of their collaboration to support organoid research applications in the fields of personalized medicine.

With this collaboration, HUB and Yamaha Motor aim to validate the application of HUB Organoids™ for predictive diagnostic purposes and aims to use the Yamaha CELL HANDLER™*1 as a tool for picking and placing HUB Organoids. HUB and Yamaha Motor aim to leverage both technologies leading to a truly personalized approach for patients.

The main objective of this partnership is to improve the overall process of diagnostics for patient benefit. This includes validation of the following: HUB Organoids, by demonstrating the clinical correlation between a Patient Derived Organoid (PDO) response and patient clinical response to the treatment; validation of CELL HANDLER™ to automize the pick-and-place process of HUB Organoids resulting in reduction in time and material that is necessary for determining diagnosis and avoidance of any inaccuracy in the pick-and-place process.

About HUB

HUB is a Dutch company that exploits the pioneering work of Prof. Dr. Hans Clevers, Hubrecht Institute, who discovered the HUB Organoid Technology to grow ‘mini-organs’ – organoids – from patient-derived adult stem cells. HUB Organoids perform as “Patients in the Lab” and allow a better and more precise understanding of patient heterogeneity and patient drug response. The technology is used for both preclinical drug discovery & development as well as establish patient derived organoids to assess different patient specific treatment options. HUB provides the preclinical and clinical HUB Organoid Technology services to pharma/biotech industry and academia.

About Yamaha Motor

Beginning with its foundation in motorcycle business, Yamaha Motor has leveraged its core competencies of small-engine technology, vehicle body/hull technology, and control technology to span a diverse range of businesses such as the marine business (boats, outboard motors, etc.), power products business (snowmobiles, generators, etc.), industrial robots, electrical power assisted bicycles, and automobile engines. The Yamaha Motor Group includes 140 companies across 30 countries and regions worldwide, which work through product development, manufacturing, and sales, to realize the Corporate Mission of being a “Kando*2 Creating Company.”

Yamaha Motor has developed a cell picking and imaging system CELL HANDLER™ for scientific research adopting pick-and-place technology from industrial robot business. It saves time and efforts and enables cell quality control by simultaneously picking cells and capturing and processing images at a speed and accuracy that would be difficult to achieve when performed manually. As such, Yamaha Motor aims to continue contributing to medical research and drug discovery fields increasing their presence in the healthcare industry.

*1For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

*2Kando is a Japanese word for the simultaneous feelings of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that we experience when we encounter something of exceptional value.