J-Star Sells APO Plus Station

J-Star Co., a Japanese private equity firm, said earlier this week that it is selling all of its shares in APO Plus Station to Qol Co. APO Plus, of Tokyo, is a pharmaceutical sales and marketing contract research organization.

PRESS RELEASE

This is to announce that our wholly managed and operated investment fund, J-STAR
Number One Investment Limited Partnership, has signed a contract to sell all of its
shares of Apo Plus Station. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Company
Representative: Takehisa Ozaki, http://www.apoplus.co.jp/,“APS”) to Qol Co., Ltd.
(Tokyo Stock Exchange, Section 2, Code 3034 , “QOL”, http://www.qol-net.co.jp/).
APS, as a CSO (Contract Sales Organization: pharmaceutical sales and marketing
contract research organization), aspires to become not only a MR (medical
representative) staff company, but also a solution partner in the pharmaceutical
industry. Synergy International Inc. is a medical advertising business which supports
medical marketing activities for pharmaceutical companies. EBMs supports clinical
research businesses and epidemiological studies through a network of doctors and
health care facilities. APS has formed a capital alliance with these two companies and
the alliance works together to provide one-stop service for a wide range of
pharmaceutical information needs.
QOL is a major chain of pharmacies that has expanded to include more than 300
pharmacies domestically and has established a unique position by being proactive and
opening stores inside of convenience stores and electronics shops. In addition to its
pharmacy business, QOL has a personnel recruitment and temporary placement
services business, a medical and pharmaceutical information business, and a site
management organization (SMO). The current acquisition of stock fulfills their
midterm plans to expand their non-pharmacy business.
Our company believes that with APS group joining QOL group, for the first time in
Japan, a CSO business which includes a network of pharmacies is being formed, and
that QOL’s pharmaceutical industry network, and credit worthiness and tangible and
intangible assets will contribute to further acceleration of growth of APS.