Nipro : Investment Agreement with the GHIT Fund on the development of a new detection kit for Mpox

December 8, 2025

NIPRO CORPORATION (Head office: Settsu，Osaka; President: Tsuyoshi Yamazaki; hereinafter "NIPRO") is pleased to announce that NIPRO; TBA Co. Ltd. (Head office: Sendai, Miyagi; hereinafter "TBA"), the Japan Institute for Health Security (Head office: Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo; hereinafter "JIHS"), the international non-profit organization PATH (Head office: Washington, USA), and the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (Head office: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; hereinafter "INRB"), have reached the Investment Agreement with the Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund on the development of a new detection test for Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). Under this Agreement, the project receives a grant of approximately JPY70 million from the GHIT Fund.

Mpox is a viral infectious disease spreading in the Sub-Saharan African region, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It causes fever, rash, swollen lymph nodes, and in severe cases, can be fatal. In August 2024, the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to the sharp increase in cases and the spread in the African region, following the declaration in July 2022. The state of emergency was subsequently, lifted in September 2025. However, Mpox cases continue to be confirmed in neighboring countries, raising concerns about the risk of severe complications and resurgence.

There are two main clades of Mpox, and their infectivity and fatality rate vary depending on the clade. Currently, the diagnostic systems available locally for identifying the clades are insufficient. Developing simple, rapid diagnostic tests that can distinguish between the clades is therefore urgently needed to prevent the further spread of infection.

This project, conducted by NIPRO as the Designated Development Partner with its Collaboration Partners (TBA, INRB, PATH, and INRB), will develop a diagnostic test capable of identifying Mpox clades by combining NIPRO's genetic testing technology with the Iso-PAS technology developed by TBA Co., Ltd. Performance evaluation of the prototype test kit will be conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country facing the threat of Mpox, under the leadership of JIHS, PATH, and INRB. Test kits featuring this technology are expected to serve as simple diagnostic tools that can be used even in facilities in rural areas with limited infrastructure, thereby contributing to the provision of appropriate treatments at an early stage and the prevention of the spread of infection. Furthermore, this technology is also expected to be highly versatile, capable of responding immediately to new pandemics.

NIPRO Group will seek to create medical solutions that meet social needs by strengthening global partnerships.