Osaka (Japan) - Lausanne (Switzerland), July 5, 2018 – Maruho Co., Ltd. (“Maruho”, Headquarters: Osaka, Japan, President and CEO: Koichi Takagi), and Nestlé Skin Health S.A. (“Nestlé Skin Health”, Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland, CEO: Stuart Raetzman), announced that in April, 2018 Maruho acquired exclusive rights in Japan for itch measurement application “Itch Tracker” for Apple Watch (hereinafter referred to as “Itch Tracker”), which has been developed to collect data on scratching during sleep. The new Itch Tracker with added functions was released to the public today.

The launch of Itch Tracker is the first collaboration for innovation initiatives between Maruho’s Future Design Department and Nestlé Skin Health’s global network of innovation, SHIELD.

About Itch Tracker: - Measuring scratching motions during sleep and “visualizing” itch –

Itch Tracker is the first application in the world to measure and visualize itching. Nestlé Skin Health developed Itch Tracker using ResearchKit, which is an open source framework for medical research introduced by Apple. Nestlé Skin Health simultaneously launched Itch Tracker worldwide in April 2017. Wearing the Apple Watch on your arm, if you start the Itch Tracker app before you sleep, you can measure your scratching behavior during sleep and evaluate your itching objectively. Nestlé Skin Health developed Itch Tracker using ResearchKit, (an open source framework for medical research introduced by Apple), and released Itch Tracker worldwide as a clinical research project from April 2017 to May 2018.

Maruho and Nestlé Skin Health collaborated in the renewal of Itch Tracker as a general-purpose application that can be used by anyone who is troubled by itchy skin. Additions such as a check function over time, etc., were added in addition to overall improvements making Itch Tracker more user-friendly. The new Itch Tracker is released worldwide on the App Store from today (English and Japanese versions are available).

“Itch is a major symptom of common dermatological diseases such as atopic dermatitis and dry skin in elderly people. It often causes a vicious cycle of itch-scratch, where itch increases the urge to scratch while scratching damages the skin and increases the itch. This cycle significantly impairs people’s quality of life. We hope that Itch Tracker makes it possible for everyone to know about their scratching, improving patient’s adherence to treatment and promoting smooth communication between patients and medical staff” said Dr. Akihiko Ikoma, Dermatologist and Senior Medical Director, Maruho Future Design Department.

Maruho and Nestlé Skin Health will continue to contribute to improving people's quality of life through the development and provision of scientific solutions that are useful for skin health.

Application Information:

Name: Itch Tracker powered by SHIELD

Compatible Device: Apple Watch

Release Date: July 5, 2018

Price: Free

App Download page (iOS): https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/id1398233391?l=en

About Nestlé Skin Health

Nestlé Skin Health’s mission is to enhance quality of life by delivering science-based solutions for the health of skin, hair and nails. As one of the category’s leading companies, Nestlé Skin Health conducts ground-breaking product research to provide both the healthcare community and the consumer with an ongoing progression of innovative technologies and products to protect, serve and enhance skin health.

For more information, please visit www.nestleskinhealth.com

About Nestlé Skin Health SHIELD

Nestlé Skin Health SHIELD is a global network of innovation and education hubs gathering today’s most creative and visionary thinkers from diverse disciplines to generate, develop and incubate ideas to advance skin health for tomorrow. SHIELD explores creative partnerships, new concepts and technologies to help preserve lifelong skin health, mitigate the emergence of skin conditions and integrate the skin dimension into the organization of age-friendly cities.

About Maruho

Maruho Co., Ltd. has its headquarters in Osaka and leads Japan in research and development, manufacturing and commercialization of dermatological products. Founded in 1915, Maruho has 1,459 employees, and net sales were approximately 79.95 billion yen in its fiscal year ending September 30, 2017. Pursuing its long-term corporate vision of “Excellence in Dermatology,” Maruho is striving to improve the health and quality of life of people all over the world.

For more information, please visit www.maruho.co.jp/english

Contact Information

Nestlé Skin Health

Head of Corporate Communications

Sébastien Cros

Email: info@nestleskinhealth.com

Maruho Co., Ltd.

Corporate Communications Dept.

Roger Matthews

Email: kouhou@mii.maruho.co.jp