TANAKA PRECIOUS METAL TECHNOLOGIES Co., Ltd. has announced the establishment of a comprehensive system for contract manufacturing of diagnostic test kits, including in vitro diagnostics. The company, which is part of TANAKA's industrial precious metals business, will now handle all stages of production internally.
Previously, TANAKA was mainly involved in developing and manufacturing test kits and producing extraction buffer in bulk. With the creation of dedicated production lines for dispensing and packaging extraction buffer, the company can now manage every step from development to final product manufacturing within its own facilities.
According to TANAKA, this new approach is expected to reduce costs and shorten delivery times by eliminating the need for external outsourcing and transportation. The company also plans to further increase production capacity and decrease lead times by adding advanced automatic assembly lines and extract dispensing equipment by March 2026.
A spokesperson for TANAKA stated: "By establishing this total solution system, TANAKA will be able to provide comprehensive contract services covering all processes from test kit development and manufacturing to bulk production, dispensing, and packaging of extraction buffer."
The company added that it can support customers throughout the entire process—from development through mass production—or fulfill requests for individual steps such as only extraction buffer dispensing. Bringing all processes in-house is intended to strengthen supply stability and quality control.
TANAKA produces in vitro diagnostics used for detecting various infectious diseases such as influenza, COVID-19, dengue fever, and ZIKA virus. These kits are designed for different sample types including saliva, blood, and urine to enable rapid testing in clinical environments.
Since beginning research into in vitro diagnostics around 2006, TANAKA has developed expertise centered on nano-colloidal gold (Au) technology. Its portfolio includes technologies that improve reagent performance using immunochromatographic assays—such as protein immobilization technology, non-specific absorption expression technology, and antigen-antibody reaction enhancement technology. All contract manufacturing activities comply with ISO 13485 standards.
