Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co. (Japan)

Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a company headquartered in Sangenjaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, founded in February 1990 with capital of 50 million yen. Its stated philosophy is to support people's healthy living and improvement of quality of life through bioscience, and it provides products through applied research and development of useful microorganisms. Its business includes import/export and sales of pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs and medical devices; chemicals, industrial chemicals, agricultural chemicals and veterinary drugs; and manufacture, sales and import/export of health foods (functional foods) and cosmetics. Its main products include BioBran, NKCP nattokinase, Kefirana lactic acid bacteria and scallop-derived plasmalogen functional food ingredients. It reports exports to more than 50 countries.

Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. was founded in February 1990. In 1992 it began development of bioactive substances using basidiomycetes in collaboration with Professor M. Ghoneum of UCLA/Drew Medical University. In 1995 it established extraction technology for MGN-3 (BioBran / rice bran arabinoxylan derivative), a novel bioactive substance in rice bran. In 1996 it launched 'Lentin Plus' in Japan and began exporting BioBran to South Korea and Taiwan; the Kakegawa factory was completed. In 1997 it obtained a manufacturing patent for BioBran in the United States (and manufacturing patents in eight other countries). In 1998 it began research and development of purified natto bacillus culture (NKCP). In 1999 it began full-scale export of BioBran to the United States. In 2000 it established DHD (EUROPE) Ltd. in Cambridge, UK, and began research and development of rice kefiran with support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; the Tsukuba factory was completed. In 2001 it began exporting NKCP raw material and launched 'NKCP' in Japan; it obtained 'Food for Specified Health Uses' labeling approval for Piothea Drink and Piothea Powder Hojicha. In 2002 it obtained ISO9001 certification and BioBran reached 27 sales countries. In 2003 it obtained HACCP certification, established SIAM DHD Ltd. in Bangkok, Thailand, and completed expansion of the Tsukuba factory. In 2004 it established Daiwa Health Development Inc. in Los Angeles, USA, and obtained manufacturing patents for NKCP and BioBran in Japan. In 2005 it launched new BioBran products 'Lentin Plus 1000LY' and 'BioBran no Doame'. In 2006 it held a presentation on the new plant-derived food material 'rice kefiran' and began supplying rice kefiran raw material. In 2007 BioBran reached 40 sales countries and it obtained blood viscosity-lowering agent patents for NKCP in South Korea and Taiwan. In 2008 it launched 'LK500' and 'Kefirana' in Japan. In 2009 NKCP reached 20 sales countries; it obtained patents for NKCP as a cancer cell distant metastasis inhibitor (Japan), blood viscosity-lowering agent (Switzerland, Germany, France, UK), and diabetes therapeutic (Japan). In 2010 it held BioBran Research Group 2010. In 2011 it obtained blood viscosity-lowering agent patents for NKCP in the US, Hong Kong and China, and launched renewed 'Kefirana Plus'. In 2012 BioBran reached 50 sales countries. In 2013 it held NKCP Research Group 2013 and was certified under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' sixth industrialization/local production for local consumption law business plan. In 2014 it obtained a patent for BioBran as an intestinal disease therapeutic and held BioBran Research Group 2014 International Conference. In 2016 it was selected for the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency's manufacturing/commerce/service new development support subsidy. In 2017 it received the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry / Small and Medium Enterprise Agency's '300 Small and Medium Enterprises and Small Businesses That Soar' award. In 2018 it obtained FSSC22000 certification and held BioBran Research Group 2018 International Conference. In 2020 it announced 'Daiwa Pharmaceutical's SDGs Initiatives'. In 2024 it held Daiwa International Workshop 2024. In April 2025 Kentaro Ninomiya became Representative Director and President.

Supports healthy living and quality of life through bioscience, developing health-food ingredients from traditional foods with accumulated evidence.

• BioBran

  Rice bran arabinoxylan derivative with abundant evidence, recognized in more than 50 countries.

• NKCP

  Nattokinase derived from the Japanese traditional food natto.

• Kefirana

  Unique lactic acid bacteria cultured from kefir lactic acid bacteria in rice, and lactic acid bacteria metabolites.

• Scallop-derived plasmalogen

  Functional food ingredient rich in plasmalogen, particular about 'Hokkaido scallops'.

1. 1バイオブランの大和薬品株式会社 ｜ Daiwa Pharmaceuticaldaiwa-pharm.com
2. 2沿革 | 大和薬品株式会社daiwa-pharm.com
3. 3会社概要 | 大和薬品株式会社daiwa-pharm.com
4. 4企業理念 | 大和薬品株式会社daiwa-pharm.com
5. 5Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co. (Japan)wikidata.org