Asahi Kaisei Adr Stock Price, News & Analysis

Bionova Scientific, a subsidiary of Asahi Kasei (OTC:AHKSY), has opened a new 10,000 square-foot plasmid DNA (pDNA) facility in The Woodlands, Texas. The state-of-the-art facility will develop and manufacture research-grade pDNA materials for cell and gene therapy applications.

The strategic expansion aims to support the growing biopharmaceutical industry, with the global pharmaceutical market expected to reach $3 trillion by 2033. The facility will begin offering clinical to commercial-scale CGMP production of pDNA by Q4 2025, complementing Bionova's existing antibody and protein CDMO services in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This expansion represents a core growth initiative within Asahi Kasei's Life Science group, positioning Bionova to serve the rapidly expanding cell and gene therapy ecosystem in the United States.

Asahi Kasei (OTC:AHKSY) has successfully demonstrated a groundbreaking biogas purification system using zeolites in Kurashiki, Japan. The system achieved exceptional performance with biomethane production yield of over 99.5% and purity exceeding 97%.

The demonstration, which began in February 2025, utilized biogas from sewage sludge at the Kojima Sewage Treatment Plant. The company's proprietary technology combines special pressure vacuum swing adsorption (PVSA) process with novel zeolite adsorbents to separate CO2 and methane from biogas.

Asahi Kasei plans to commercialize the technology by 2027 and has initiated global licensing activities. The innovation comes as biomethane gains attention worldwide, with 159 countries having signed the Global Methane Pledge as of November 2024.

Asahi Kasei (OTC:AHKSY) and Toyota Tsusho have formed a strategic partnership for lithium-ion battery (LIB) separator supply in North America. Their U.S. subsidiaries have signed a capacity rights agreement where Asahi Kasei Battery Separator America (AKBSA) will supply Hipore™ wet-process LIB separator to Toyota Tsusho America (TAI) starting mid-2027.

The agreement gives TAI preferential access to AKBSA's production capacity from its new coating facility under construction in Charlotte, North Carolina. Additionally, Asahi Kasei is advancing plans to establish a battery separator facility in Canada, as announced in May 2024, to support growing North American demand.

Asahi Kasei (OTC:AHKSY) has announced it will supply its Aqualyzer™-C3 1 MW-class alkaline-water electrolyzer to the Central Finland Mobility Foundation (Cefmof) for hydrogen production. The installation in Jyväskylä is scheduled to begin in late 2025, with full operations expected in the first half of 2026.

The system will be capable of producing enough hydrogen per hour to refuel approximately three fuel cell vehicles. The containerized modular design allows for scalable expansion to meet future demand increases. This project marks Asahi Kasei's entry into full commercialization of its hydrogen-related business, building on its experience since launching chlor-alkali electrolysis operations in 1975.

Asahi Kasei (OTC:AHKSY) has announced plans to build its fourth spinning plant for Planova™ virus removal filters in Nobeoka City, Japan. The new facility, supported by a METI grant, will begin construction in July 2026 and start operations in January 2030.

The expansion aligns with the company's "Trailblaze Together" management plan and aims to meet growing global demand in the biopharmaceutical market, which is projected to exceed $500 billion by 2032 with an 8.2% CAGR. The plant will produce Planova™ filters S20N, 15N, 20N, 35N, and 75N, strengthening Asahi Kasei's position in the high-value bioprocessing market and enhancing global supply chain resilience.

Asahi Kasei (OTC:AHKSY) has announced that its Microza & Water Processing Division received a prestigious Gold rating in EcoVadis' sustainability assessment, placing it among the top 5% of assessed entities. The division's Microza® hollow-fiber membrane technology, used in water treatment and industrial processes, was particularly recognized for its environmental performance.

The assessment evaluated four key categories: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement, focusing on the Microza® Fuji Plant's manufacturing operations and supply chain activities. The EcoVadis rating system is globally recognized, having assessed over 150,000 companies across 185 countries and 250 industries.

Asahi Kasei Pharma (OTC:AHKSY) has initiated a Phase III clinical trial for ART-123 (Recomodulin™) in Japan, targeting the prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The drug, already approved in Japan since 2008, showed promising results in Phase I and II studies for managing CIPN symptoms without interfering with chemotherapy treatments.

The Phase III study will evaluate ART-123's efficacy and safety in colorectal cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. The trial addresses a significant unmet medical need, as there are currently no established effective treatments for CIPN prevention or treatment. The development aligns with Asahi Kasei's strategic focus on healthcare sector growth, with pharmaceuticals designated as a 'First Priority' area.

Asahi Kasei (AHKSY) has been awarded the 2025 Imperial Invention Prize for developing a groundbreaking nickel-coated absorption layer technology that significantly improves chlor-alkali electrolysis processes. The invention addresses a critical issue in electrode deterioration during process interruptions by eliminating the need for mechanical solutions to suppress reverse current. The technology has been successfully commercialized and implemented in over 160 plants across 30+ countries. This innovation is particularly significant as it combines both porosity and strength in the absorption layer, previously a challenging trade-off. The company's "DENKAI AS ONE" model, launched in Houston in 2024, offers comprehensive electrolyzer solutions. Asahi Kasei is now exploring the technology's potential application in green hydrogen production through alkaline water electrolysis.

Asahi Kasei has introduced the TA Series of Sunfort™ dry film photoresist, a strategic product for advanced semiconductor packaging used in AI servers. The new series enables ultra-high resolution with conventional stepper exposure and laser direct imaging (LDI) systems, allowing patterning with a resist width of 1.0 µm using LDI exposure in 4 µm pitch design. This innovation is part of Asahi Kasei's Electronics business, which expects a 25% increase in operating profit between fiscal 2024-2027. The TA Series overcomes traditional dry film limitations, offering advantages for panel-level processing while maintaining high resolution previously only achieved with liquid resist. The product specifically targets growing demand in AI, automotive, and IoT markets, with enhanced global support focusing on Asia and North America.