On January 11, Air Liquide Japan (President: Shiro Yahara) announced that it concluded an agreement on the alliance sale of hand-sanitizers with Kyorin Pharmaceutical (President: Mitsutomo Miyashita), which is an affiliate of Kyorin Holdings engaged in the production and sale of pharmaceutical products. The alliance is scheduled to start in the spring of this year.

Handling of hand-sanitizers products started in December 2015 when Air Liquide Japan took over the business rights in Japan from group’s subsidiary Schlke & Mayr doing healthcare business. The scale of business is estimated to be somewhere around 800 million yen in terms of sales amount. Hand-sanitizers business aiming at infection control and management in medical settings includes the lineup of alcoholic hand-sanitizers “Puremist” and “Purerubbing”, the antibacterial soap “Microshield”, and the hand soap and lotion “Gentle Cleanser” and “Lotion Moisturizer”.

Taking the opportunity of this alliance, Air Liquide Japan is going to utilize the wide network to such users as the hospitals of Kyorin Pharmaceuticals’ customer in the medical care business, so that Air Liquide Japan can strive to maximize the diffusion of hand-sanitizers and hygienic products. Kyorin Pharmaceuticals, on the other hand, plan to reinforce its sales activities to medical institutions including the current ones taking advantage of the enriched lineup including the said product category which has so far been a weak point.

With regard to the future of the hand-sanitizer business, Air Liquide Japan says, “As the movement of business alliance itself is our first attempt, we would like to search for a new business tool toward the diffusion of the product through the connections with the users of Kyorin Pharmaceuticals’ side has.”