LINK Strengthens Presence in Japan with Cosmo Bio and Shigematsu Distribution Agreements

LINK has announced the appointment of two new distributors in Japan — Cosmo Bio and Shigematsu. The companies will work alongside LINK’s current partner, Gene Design, thus strengthening LINK’s presence in this important market and increasing access to its range of innovative reagents for oligo therapeutics and diagnostics.

Cosmo Bio, based in Tokyo, offer a wide range of research reagents and instruments, having been established in the Japanese life science research community for over 30 years. The company represents over 600 domestic and international manufacturers, listing over 10 million products across the entire spectrum of life science research. Mr Yoshiyuki Maki, Director of Cosmo Bio, commented: “We are proud to distribute LINK’s high quality oligonucleotide reagents in the Japanese research market. We have a keen desire to support the development of the life science market, and this new agreement allows us to expand our Advanced Technology product portfolio, further strengthening our position as a leading partner for life science researchers in Japan.”

Based in Osaka, with offices in Tokyo, Tsukuba-city and Minami-aoyama, Shigematsu & Co. have over 50 years’ experience in serving the chemical reagent market, across various fields such as pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, chemicals, foods, electronics, as well as academic and public institutions within Japan. Mr Kenshiro Shigematsu, Director, Marketing & Development at Shigematsu, said: “It gives us great pleasure, and a sense of pride, to be partnering with LINK, and we look forward to helping the company achieve increased success in Japan’s growing oligonucleotide reagent market.”

Dr David Ricketts, CEO of LINK, added: “Japan is an important market for us, but also a complex one. It is essential therefore that we reach customers by more than one channel, to increase choice and value for customers seeking to source and use our products. Adding to the excellent work of our initial partner in Japan, Gene Design, these appointments broaden our reach and underline our ambition and focus to meet customers’ needs on a global scale. We very much look forward to working with our newest partners in Japan to take our business forward.”