The Sojitz Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the WHO Foundation, OurCrowd, a venture capital firm, the Global Health Equity Fund, and HIROTSU Bioscience Inc. to work together on feasibility studies and strategic alliances for the rollout of N-NOSE in low- and middle-income countries. N-NOSE is a primary cancer screening test that offers early cancer detection.
N-NOSE, a primary cancer screening test created by HIROTSU and already available, uses the highly precise detection of cancer-specific odours in human urine by nematodes with a keen sense of smell. N-NOSE is a urine-based systemic cancer screening test that can be used to identify cancer in its early stages. It is quick, affordable, highly accurate, and comprehensive.
After the formal launch in January 2020, more than 400,000 people have had a screening, and as of May 2023, more than 1,500 businesses are providing this screening. In February 2022, Sojitz and HIROTSU came to a capital and business partnership deal, and since then, they have been working together to advance the growth of N-NOSE on a global scale.
The WHO Foundation was established as a separate Swiss foundation that is linked with but separate from WHO in order to mobilise fresh funding from philanthropists, foundations, corporations, and people in support of its goal to advance health, ensure global security, and assist the vulnerable.
Founded in Israel in 2013, OurCrowd is a venture capital business that has invested in over 290 billion yen worth of companies and 43 funds. As part of the partnership with the WHO Foundation, OurCrowd will offer GHEFs portfolio companies chances to collaborate with international organizations, R&D, manufacturing, and supplier firms, government agencies, and low- and middle-income countries. This will help the GHEFs portfolio companies grow.