NEW YORK, April 24 - Yamanouchi pharmaceuticals, Japan's third-largest drugmaker, plans to double its commitment to genomics over the next five years to 50 billion yen, or $411.8 million, Reuters reported from Tokyo on Tuesday.

The Tokyo-based company, which has invested four to five billion yen annually over the last few years, said it hopes to invest in genomics in order to find new drug targets and to catch up with US rivals, Reuters said.