#Japan #Tokyo #Alfresa #CMIC Holdings #harmo Vaccine Care

Alfresa and CMIC Holdings Collaborate on Vaccination Support Platform

In a significant move towards enhancing public health, Alfresa Corporation, alongside CMIC Holdings and its subsidiary CMIC Trust, have officially signed a basic agreement to collaborate on building a comprehensive vaccination support platform. This alliance aims to digitize and streamline existing vaccination processes, which predominantly rely on paper-based documentation, thus reducing the administrative burden on both healthcare providers and individuals seeking vaccinations.

Background and Objective

Currently, the vaccination process is heavily reliant on physical documentation, which poses a considerable challenge for individuals managing vaccination vouchers and pre-visit forms. Additionally, healthcare institutions face administrative hurdles concerning the mailing of vouchers and billing processes. To address these issues, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is advancing the 'Vaccination Administrative Digitalization Project,' which aims to ease the burden on all involved parties and improve administrative efficiencies. Plans are set for nationwide implementation by the fiscal year 2026.

As part of its strategic initiative under the 'Mid-Term Management Plan 2025-2027 Vision2032 Stage 2,' the Alfresa Group seeks to tackle healthcare challenges through various products and services designed for customers and partners. A key offering, known as 'Vaccine Plat,' allows healthcare institutions to manage vaccination bookings and inventory seamlessly, enabling individuals to book appointments online at any time.

In parallel, the CMIC Group has developed the 'harmo Vaccine Care' application, which officially supports the Ministry's digitalization efforts by ensuring reliable management of vaccination information through healthcare providers. The application features functionalities that significantly reduce the workload of healthcare institutions, such as preventing vaccination errors, automatic registration of vaccination records without manual input, and transferring vaccination data directly to electronic medical records. Following its beta launch in June 2022, the application has received positive feedback and has been piloted in selected areas such as Kawasaki City.

The forthcoming partnership between the Alfresa and CMIC Groups aims to enhance the availability and implementation of the 'harmo Vaccine Care' application, contributing to the digitalization of vaccination administration. Together, they will engage in collaborative research and development to improve both platforms, ultimately aimed at creating a robust digital ecosystem for vaccination processes in response to Japan's healthcare DX policy.

Key Objectives of the Agreement

1. Joint Research and Development: The collaboration will leverage the strengths of both 'Vaccine Plat' and 'harmo Vaccine Care' to develop powerful functionalities that support healthcare providers, municipalities, and residents in their vaccination needs.
2. Expanding 'harmo Vaccine Care': Utilizing Alfresa's expansive national distribution network and CMIC Group's client connections, the partnership will promote and expand access to the 'harmo Vaccine Care' application.

Features of 'harmo Vaccine Care'

• - An automated check function that adheres to the latest vaccination guidelines, preventing mistakes and ensuring safe operations.
• - Easy registration of vaccination records by simply scanning the vaccine barcode.
• - Streamlined transfer of vaccination records to electronic medical files.
• - A user app that connects healthcare providers and patients, facilitating mutual information management regarding vaccinations.
• - Timely notifications on vaccine recalls to the relevant healthcare institutions based on registered vaccination data.

Partner Overview

CMIC Holdings

Established in 1992, CMIC Holdings pioneered the clinical research organization (CRO) business model in Japan, offering comprehensive support across drug development, manufacturing, and marketing. The group supports foreign pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies in entering the Japanese market and executing clinical trials across Asia. CMIC is committed to enhancing individual health value through its 'Personal Health Value Creator' business model.

CMIC Trust

Focused on developing applications for maternal health, municipal screenings, and vaccination support, CMIC Trust plays an integral role in advancing the national PMH project. The organization ensures efficient information sharing among municipalities, healthcare institutions, and caregivers, thus contributing to the digitalization of medical information.

Future Outlook

At this stage, the immediate impact of this partnership on the current fiscal year 2026 is expected to be minor. However, both companies foresee long-term benefits that will elevate the corporate value of their respective groups. Any significant developments pertaining to this partnership will be disclosed promptly as they arise.

In conclusion, the collaboration between Alfresa Corporation and CMIC Holdings marks a commendable step towards shaping the future of vaccination processes in Japan, aligning closely with national health policy goals and innovation in healthcare delivery.