March 3, 2025
Press Release
CMIC HOLDINGS Co., Ltd.
CMIC HOLDINGS and Blackstone
Agreed to a strategic equity alliance in CRO business
– Promoting Further Growth Towards a Leading Asian CRO –
This is to announce that CMIC HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director CEO: Kazuo Nakamura, hereafter “CMIC HOLDINGS”) has entered into a strategic capital alliance (hereafter “the Alliance”) with Blackstone Inc. (listed on the New York Stock Exchange) and private equity fund operated by its affiliates for the further growth of CMIC Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Akihisa Mitake), which is responsible for the CRO business (support for drug development) under the umbrella of CMIC HOLDINGS.
In the pharmaceutical industry, Japan is experiencing a decline in its drug discovery capabilities, with an increasing dependence on overseas developments, particularly in biologics, and a diminishing attractiveness of the Japanese market due to drug price revisions. In response, efforts are being made across industry, government, and academia to build a drug discovery ecosystem. This initiative aims to leverage cutting-edge basic and applied research, as well as digital technology and other scientific and technological capabilities, to create innovative new drugs. As the business climate surrounding the CRO business is undergoing a major transformation, CRO is also required to provide even higher-quality and more efficient support for its customers than in the past. Accordingly, CMIC has been advancing the search for new partners with the goal of evolving into an organization that can thrive during this period of transformation and achieve breakthrough growth.
Blackstone possesses one of the world’s largest life sciences funds, the Blackstone Life Sciences Fund (hereinafter “BXLS”), through which it invests in and supports the development and commercialization of drugs and medical devices. The fund has a track record of leading the commercialization of approximately 150 products worldwide. Additionally, BXLS has a strong network with pharmaceutical and biotech companies around the globe, particularly in the United States. Through collaboration with Blackstone, it becomes possible to leverage these connections to build a robust network with promising overseas biotech ventures.
By leveraging the healthcare network and expertise that Blackstone has cultivated through its domestic and international investments, as well as its various growth support functions and enhanced collaboration with companies under the Blackstone umbrella, we aim to further evolve CMIC’s services. We are focused on promoting high-quality, value-added drug development support and pursuing business growth with a view towards a future initial public offering.
Through this alliance, as of May 1, 2025 (tentative), CMIC will operate under a holding company structure where Blackstone will own 60.0% and CMIC HOLDINGS will own 40.0%. We will collaborate with CMIC Group’s various Asian locations to enhance services and develop into a leading CRO in Asia.
■About CMIC Group
CMIC was founded in 1992 as the first contract research organization (CRO) in Japan. To enable pharmaceutical companies to develop better medicine sooner, we expanded our solutions to include contract development and manufacturing (CDMO), site support, and market solutions, supporting global companies to bring highly desired treatments to the Japanese market.
CMIC has also entered into the healthcare arena. Leveraging our vast experience and expertise in the medical industry, we offer solutions using a new ecosystem of healthcare to support the individuals and local governments. We strive to be a Personal Health Value Creator (PHVC) to meet our global customers’ needs in the U.S., Japan, and broader Asia. CMIC Group has over 7,500 employees and 28 sites globally. For more information about CMIC Group and services, please visit our website: https://en.cmicgroup.com/
Contact Us for Media Inquiry
CMIC HOLDINGS Co., Ltd.
Corporate Communications
E-mail: pr@cmic.co.jp
