Social Contribution Activities（Community Involvement and Development）

Toward Social Contribution

As a company involved in "life," the Group will continue to strive for sustainable growth and solutions to social issues, promote activities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and contribute to the realization of an affluent society.

Basic Principles of Social Contribution Activities

As a good corporate citizen, our CSR Guiding Principles clearly state that the Group will proactively promote communication with local communities and society, and make social contributions.

In addition to providing economic support for disasters, poverty, and environmental issues in Japan and overseas, the Company also aims to coexist in harmony with local communities, actively conducting regular cleanup activities around its business sites and hosting factory tours, and engaging in a variety of social contribution activities to be trusted by society and to be a company that can continue to grow together with society. ASKA Pharmaceutical's "Health Lab Mint⁺ for Women’s health" provides the general public with tips on how to gain correct knowledge about women's bodies and health.
In addition, the company contributes to the development of the next generation through a variety of initiatives, including health education for children.

ASKA Pharmaceutical Group Award System

The Group has established a system to foster a sense of unity as a group and increase motivation by shining the spotlight on a large number of employees, and awards are given to those who have contributed to the development of the Group as a whole, those who have been recognized as making a high social contribution through volunteer and sustainable activities, and those who have been remarkably active in cultural activities and sports.
In addition to the introduction of such a system to commend employees for their voluntary social contribution activities, we are also working to improve the working environment, including a full flex-time system and volunteer leave, so that these activities can be compatible with work.

CSR Activities Promotion Structure

The Company has established its CSR guiding principles and is committed to the continuous growth of the group as a whole and contributing to society. As a trusted company, we will increase profitability through sound business practices and fulfill our social responsibilities as a good corporate citizen.

1 Supplying high-quality pharmaceuticals

1. All employees conduct business with integrity guided by our corporate philosophy.
2. We provide a stable supply of high-quality pharmaceuticals with excellent efficacy and safety profiles.

2 Ensuring compliance

1. We are thoroughly committed to corporate ethics and to compliance with all laws and regulations.
2. We maintain fair relationships with stakeholders and conduct transactions that are fair-minded, transparent, and based on free competition.
3. Regarding the protection of personal information, we manage the information in compliance with our privacy policy.

3 Respecting human rights

1. We respect the human rights of all people affected by our business practices.
2. We respect the diversity of our employees and strive to foster a safe and comfortable corporate culture.

4 Contributing to communities and society

1. As a good corporate citizen, we communicate with the local community and broader society while striving to contribute to the world.

5 Preserving the environment

1. We participate in the realization of a sustainable society through environmental preservation and by practicing environmental management.

Supporting Women's Advancement in Society through the Activities of Health Lab Mint⁺ for Women’s Health

The Health Lab Mint⁺ for Women’s Health provides the general public with tips on how women can live a healthy and fulfilling life as well as accurate information on women's bodies and health by staying attuned to women's unique and painful symptoms for a wide range of life stages.

The Mint⁺ website provides easy-to-understand explanations of illnesses and symptoms for the general public so that visitors can learn about the causes of their symptoms early on and take action.
The website is overseen by specialist physicians and other experts. It provides easy-to-understand explanations ranging from basic knowledge of women’s bodies to changes in their physical condition accompanying hormonal changes at each life stage, and information on diseases specific to women. We strive to pick up broadly on concerns that women have about their bodies that they tend to keep to themselves and on disorders or worries they cannot put into words. We work to provide information and refine our content in the hope that we can alleviate women’s anxieties by conveying accurate information and to be a pillar of support for them to lead healthy lives. As a result, we have been able to grow the website to the point where it is viewed by an average of over 300,000 people per month.

We will continue to work to enrich the content and actively disseminate information to deepen knowledge of the specific ailments and diseases that women suffer from at each stage of their lives, and to provide an opportunity for them to undergo medical examinations and hospital visits.

The website “Health Lab Mint⁺ for Women’s health” (Japanese version only)

Activities of the Project to Promote Women’s Health Starting from Food

We are working to further develop activities to help more women lead healthy and fulfilling lives amid a growing interest in women’s health issues and the increasing importance of food. In September 2021, we launched the Project to Promote Women’s Health Starting from Food with ABC Cooking Studio Co., Ltd.’s ABC HEALTH LABO. As part of this project, we offer online seminars in which doctors and other experts explain women’s health issues. These explanations are supported by nutritionists who present information on nutrition and give demonstration lessons for cooking with ingredients (nutrients) that help relieve certain symptoms. To date, seminars have been held on the topics of "female hormones," "thyroid gland," "menstruation," "menopause," and "preconception care.

Launch of Mint⁺ teens LINE account

In conjunction with the launch of Mint⁺ activities, we have also begun distributing information on LINE
As of April 2024, we have more than 5,000 registered subscribers, indicating the high level of interest in women's health and high expectations for Mint⁺. We will continue to develop new content in the future.

　Mint⁺ teens LINE account (Japanese version only)

Health Education for Puberty and Children

We contribute to the development of the next generation by providing health education and other programs for the pubertal generation and children.

Mint^＋ teens website

Mint⁺ teens, launched in August 2021, provides teenagers with information about changes in physical condition related to female hormones. The website includes videos that are set in a high school and feature the story of four students attending a special class taught by Teacher ASKA. The videos address real questions and concerns of high school girls, aiming to deepen their knowledge about their bodies and female hormones. The website is also enriched with illustrated content that provides easy-to-understand explanations related to physical care, questions, and concerns

Mint⁺teens website (Japanese version only)

Launch of Mint⁺ teens Instagram account

In March 2023, we launched a Mint⁺ teens official Instagram account as a new point of contact with teenagers. The account shares information on the physical changes associated with hormonal changes, in line with teenagers’ school life and events. We provide an accessible and trustworthy resource for high school girls by sharing accurate information to alleviate their anxiety.

Distribution of health and physical education supplementary materials for high school students

In 2020. we published health and physical education supplementary material for high school students entitled High School Students “Now” – The Female Body: What You Should Know. This material has been completely updated in 2024. We distributed this to educational institutions nationwide as a sex-education resource to provide students with accurate information about menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, contraception, and STD.

Sponsored the Comprehensive Sexual Education Project

In FY2022, We had sponsored the Comprehensive Sexuality Education Project, an initiative promoted by the Asahi Gakusei Shimbun Company and Dentsu Inc. aimed at creating opportunities for elementary and junior high school students and their parents to obtain accurate information about sex (sexual education). We want parents and children to be able to talk openly about sex, which is often considered a taboo subject, and to have a correct understanding of it.

We held an online seminar for elementary school students and their parents that introduced the topic of menstruation. Dr. Kuniko Tsukada, Director of Atlas Ladies’ Clinic, gave an easy-to-understand explanation of the changes in the bodies of boys and girls, the changes that occur until women have a baby, and how to safeguard one’s own body.

Support for the child-rearing generation

We contribute to the development of the next generation by providing health education and other programs for the pubertal generation and children.

A new website, Mint⁺ Hug, with a view to disseminating accurate information

In October 2024, we launched a new website, Mint+ Hug, with a view to disseminating accurate information about childrearing as well. This includes information covering the period from confirmation of pregnancy through childbirth, physical changes and conditions affecting the bodies of mother and child following birth, health information through early childhood, and so forth. Going forward, we will continue to update columns for mothers, newborns, and infants, and enrich the content.

Mint⁺ Hug website (Japanese version only)

Support for local childcare

An event on child-rearing, led by the mother of an Olympic gold medalist, was organized for preschool children and their parents in Minato Ward, where our head office is located. The event featured a craft activity for children, led by nursery school teachers in the first half, and exercise sessions for parents and children in the second half. In addition, we held a Christmas concert at the head office to refresh the hearts and minds of local residents.

Efforts to promote Femtech

Femtech is a term coined by combining the words “female” and “technology” and refers to products and services that use technology to solve various health issues that women face in their various life stages.
Femtech is gradually gaining traction in Japan, with support from government measures including Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry initiatives to promote women's participation in the workforce through the use of Femtech, and the Basic Policy on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women.
Femtech Business Promotion Unit which ASKA Pharmaceutical established in April 2023,develops products and services addressing women’s diverse health issues and concerns. In October 2023, the Unit started to sell training videos on women’s health to companies and organizations, as its first service. Through these videos, the Unit aims to encourage men and women to gain mutual understanding regarding the female-specific symptoms that can prevent women from performing at their best.
Going forward, we will continue to improve women's health and work comfort.

Exhibited at Fem⁺（Femtech Tokyo）

We have been exhibiting at Fem⁺ (Femtech Tokyo) (Venue: Tokyo Big Sight, Organizer: RX Japan Ltd.), which promotes Femtech and Femcare products and services to the world and contributes to the realization of a world in which society as a whole supports women's health and activities, every year since the first event in 2022.

Sponsorships for a Public Foundation

The Group supports the Yamaguchi Endocrine Research Foundation, a public foundation that nurtures multifaceted research into the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of endocrine disorders. As part of efforts to actively disseminate information on endocrine-related disorders and engage in related awareness-raising activities, the foundation publishes a wide range of information on its website, including the latest information on endocrine-related disorders, for researchers, specialists, and other interested parties.

Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Research

The origins of our business are in hormone preparations, and we have accumulated technology, knowledge and achievements in hormone research over the past 100 years. Now, the ASKA Pharmaceutical Shonan Research Center is accelerating open innovation through industry-academia-government collaboration, including joint research with venture companies and universities to hasten drug discovery.

Digital Therapeutics App Designed for Patients with PMS/PMDD^*

We are conducting a specified clinical trial using a digital therapeutics app designed for patients with PMS/PMDD in collaboration with SUSMED, Inc. and Fukushima Medical Center for Children and Woman of Fukushima Medical University.
* Premenstrual syndrome / premenstrual dysphoric disorder