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CHELMSFORD, Mass. & TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Asahi Kasei announced that ZOLL® Medical, an Asahi Kasei company, has launched the next-generation LifeVest® wearable CHELMSFORD, Mass. & TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Asahi Kasei announced that ZOLL® Medical, an Asahi Kasei company, has launched the next-generation LifeVest® wearable

ZOLL Strengthens Growth Trajectory for Asahi Kasei’s Healthcare Sector with U.S. Launch of the Next-Generation LifeVest® WCD and Rollout of the Most Comfortable LifeVest Garment Ever, Reinforcing Position as Leader in WCD Category

2026/01/09 00:15

CHELMSFORD, Mass. & TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Asahi Kasei announced that ZOLL^® Medical, an Asahi Kasei company, has launched the next-generation LifeVest^® wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) in the U.S., and completed the U.S. rollout of the most comfortable LifeVest garment ever.¹ With more than 140,000 patients in peer-reviewed clinical publications and well over one million lives protected, LifeVest is the most used, studied and proven wearable defibrillator.

ZOLL is a global leader in medical devices and related software and diagnostic tools used in critical care. As part of its growth strategy, Asahi Kasei positions Critical Care as a First Priority business, targeting operating income of ¥55.0 billion in fiscal 2027. The latest advancements to the LifeVest WCD reflect ZOLL’s commitment to continuous innovation, and positions ZOLL to continue leading and sustaining growth in the expanding WCD category.

“With its advanced technology, unmatched safety data, and now an even more comfortable garment, LifeVest set the standard for WCDs for patients at temporarily elevated risk of sudden cardiac death,” said Ken Shinomiya, Leader of the Healthcare sector of Asahi Kasei. “The success of the LifeVest WCD positions ZOLL and Asahi Kasei for even more clinical adoption, continued market expansion, durable revenue growth, and strong profitability in the years ahead.”

ZOLL continues to lead the WCD category, driven by more than two decades of engineering expertise, patient feedback, and clinical evidence. More clinicians and patients are choosing the LifeVest WCD, supported by a growing body of clinical data demonstrating the need for sudden cardiac death protection in newly diagnosed heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction.² Results from the recent landmark SCD-PROTECT study further reinforce the effectiveness of the LifeVest WCD.⁴

The next-generation LifeVest garment is preferred by patients for its enhanced comfort and usability.¹ Built on progressive advancements from prior generations, the garment is designed to support patients in their daily lives outside of the hospital. Enhanced features include lightweight, athleisure-inspired performance fabric, soft plush straps, flat-lock stitching, and the largest range of garment sizes available, accommodating chest measurements from 26” to 56”.

ZOLL also pioneered the use of artificial intelligence in WCDs, introducing an AI-enhanced algorithm in 2018 that reduced false alarms to a median of zero at 90 days.³ The latest generation LifeVest continues to incorporate this AI-enhanced algorithm to support reliable patient protection further.

Asahi Kasei’s Healthcare sector continues to experience robust unit growth, high recurring revenue from clinical practice standardization, and strong operating margins. To view Asahi Kasei’s latest financial results, visit https://www.asahi-kasei.com/ir/library/financial_briefing/.

About ZOLL

ZOLL, an Asahi Kasei company, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and cardiac monitoring, circulation enhancement and CPR feedback, supersaturated oxygen therapy, data management, ventilation, therapeutic temperature management, and sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS and fire professionals, as well as lay rescuers, improve patient outcomes in critical cardiopulmonary conditions. For more information, visit www.zoll.com.

About Asahi Kasei

The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber business, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 50,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to sustainable society by providing solutions to the world’s challenges through its three business sectors of Healthcare, Homes, and Material. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.com.

Asahi Kasei is also dedicated to sustainability initiatives and is contributing to reaching a carbon neutral society by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.asahi-kasei.com/sustainability/.

Asahi Kasei Corporation (TSE: 3407) is committed to contributing to life and living for people around the world while generating superior long-term returns for shareholders. For more information on Asahi Kasei’s growth strategy and financial objectives, please visit the Investor Relations section at https://www.asahi-kasei.com/ir/.

1.	Data on file, 20c1184_a01. Garment Comparative Wear Test.
2.	Based on commercial data as of November 2025.
3.	Arkles J, Delaughter C, D’Souza B. A novel artificial intelligence based algorithm to reduce wearable cardioverter-defibrillator alarms. J Interv Cardiac Electrophysiol. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-023-01497-w.
4.	David Duncker, Eloi Marijon, Marco Metra, Olivier Piot, Marat Fudim, Uwe Siebert, Norbert Frey, Lars Siegfried Maier, Johann Bauersachs, Sudden cardiac death in newly diagnosed non-ischaemic or ischaemic cardiomyopathy assessed with a wearable cardioverter-defibrillator: the German nationwide SCD-PROTECT study, European Heart Journal, 2025;, ehaf668, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf668

Disclaimer: A controlled, head-to-head study evaluating the comparative performance of available WCD devices has not been done.

Contacts

North America:
Asahi Kasei America Inc.

Christian OKeefe

christian.okeefe@ak-america.com

Europe:
Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH

Sebastian Schmidt

sebastian.schmidt@asahi-kasei.eu

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