Latest news with #NaokiOkamura
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Astellas Enters Exclusive License Agreement with Evopoint Biosciences for XNW27011, a Novel Clinical-stage Antibody-Drug Conjugate Targeting CLDN18.2
- Agreement grants Astellas exclusive worldwide rights (excluding China's mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan region) to develop and commercialize XNW27011 - - XNW27011 has demonstrated encouraging monotherapy efficacy in an ongoing Phase 1/2 study of patients with solid tumors, including gastric cancer, gastroesophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer - - Evopoint to receive a $130 million upfront payment and is eligible to receive up to $70 million near-term payments, and additional milestone payments associated with development, regulatory and commercialization milestones totaling up to $1.34 billion, as well as royalties on net sales of XNW27011, if approved - TOKYO and SUZHOU, China, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Naoki Okamura, "Astellas") and Evopoint Biosciences (Evopoint Biosciences Co., Ltd.) today announced they have entered into an exclusive license agreement for XNW27011, a novel investigational clinical-stage antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CLDN18.2. The agreement grants Astellas a worldwide (excluding China's mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan region) exclusive license to develop and commercialize XNW27011. XNW27011 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 study in China in patients with CLDN18.2-expressing solid tumors, including gastric cancer, gastroesophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer. It uses a proprietary topoisomerase I inhibitor payload and linker technology, an approach that has demonstrated clinical success in other approved cancer therapies. Astellas has significant expertise in developing therapies that target CLDN18.2, including VYLOYTM, the first CLDN18.2-targeted therapy approved in the world. XNW27011 has the potential to address currently unmet patient need and will expand Astellas' oncology pipeline which currently contains CLDN-targeting therapies utilizing different approaches, as well as ADC's directed to other targets. Under the terms of the agreement, Evopoint will receive a $130 million upfront payment and is eligible to receive up to $70 million near-term payments, and additional milestone payments associated with development, regulatory and commercialization milestones totaling up to $1.34 billion, as well as royalties on net sales of XNW27011, if approved. Adam Pearson, Chief Strategy Officer, Astellas"Astellas is dedicated to advancing innovative therapies for some of the most challenging-to-treat cancers, such as gastric and pancreatic cancer. XNW27011 is a promising new asset that complements Astellas' pipeline and enhances our leading position in precision oncology. We look forward to harnessing our expertise in targeting CLDN18.2 and specialized knowledge in GI cancers to advance XNW27011 and deliver meaningful outcomes to patients." Arthur Qiang, Chairman, Evopoint"XNW27011 is a novel investigational antibody-drug conjugate that has shown great promise in the clinic. Astellas has a proven history of developing and commercializing a strong franchise of innovative cancer therapies. We are pleased to enter into this new license agreement to further our collective goals of bringing new treatment options for patients in need worldwide." About AstellasAstellas is a global life sciences company committed to turning innovative science into VALUE for patients. We provide transformative therapies in disease areas that include oncology, ophthalmology, urology, immunology and women's health. Through our research and development programs, we are pioneering new healthcare solutions for diseases with high unmet medical need. Learn more at About Evopoint BiosciencesEvopoint Biosciences is an innovative biopharmaceutical company with exceptional capabilities in R&D and commercialization. Since its inception, Evopoint has been committed to improving human health by discovering and developing cutting-edge pharmaceutical solutions that address significant unmet medical needs worldwide. Leveraging diverse discovery platforms in targeted therapy, ADC, and targeted protein degradation (TPD), the company has built a robust pipeline focused on oncology, infectious diseases and metabolic diseases. Learn more at Astellas Cautionary NotesIn this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties. Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Astellas CEO on Outlook Ahead of Trump's Pharma Tariffs
The global pharmaceutical industry is grappling with an uncertain outlook, amid President Donald Trump's plans to cut US prescription drug prices and impose tariffs on pharma imports. Astellas Pharma is among the Japanese drug makers that depends on the US for a large chunk of sales. CEO Naoki Okamura spoke to Bloomberg TV in Tokyo on May 7th about the impact of Trump's tariffs, and the firm's engagement with activist investor Farallon Capital Management.
Bloomberg
13-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Astellas CEO on Outlook Ahead of Trump's Pharma Tariffs
The global pharmaceutical industry is grappling with an uncertain outlook, amid President Donald Trump's plans to cut US prescription drug prices and impose tariffs on pharma imports. Astellas Pharma is among the Japanese drug makers that depends on the US for a large chunk of sales. CEO Naoki Okamura spoke to Bloomberg TV in Tokyo on May 7th about the impact of Trump's tariffs, and the firm's engagement with activist investor Farallon Capital Management. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
07-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Astellas CEO Says Engaging With Activist Investor Farallon
By and Yui Hasebe Updated on Save Astellas Pharma Inc. will continue to engage with Farallon Capital Management, an activist investor that's built a stake in the Japanese drugmaker, Chief Executive Officer Naoki Okamura said, adding that he's 'pleased that one of our investors sees potential value' in the company. 'Ultimately, all shareholders want to increase corporate value and we share the exactly the same mission,' Okamura told Bloomberg TV in an interview, declining to give details of the discussions with Farallon. 'We receive various proposals from shareholders, and if we see something that will indeed contribute to enhancing our corporate value, then of course we are willing to accept it.'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Astellas and YASKAWA Agree to Establish a Joint Venture Focused on Cell Therapy Manufacturing
- Joint venture will aim to develop a cell therapy manufacturing platform through robotics and will offer access to startups and academic institutions - TOKYO, March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Naoki Okamura, "Astellas") and YASKAWA Electric Corporation (TSE: 6506, President and CEO; Masahiro Ogawa, "YASKAWA") signed a definitive agreement to establish a joint venture for the development of a cell therapy product manufacturing platform utilizing the dual-arm robot "Maholo." In addition, the joint venture will offer platform access to startups and academic institutions, fostering collaboration and innovation in the field of cell therapy. In the pharmaceutical industry, the commercialization of cell therapy faces many challenges stemming from the complex nature of the manufacturing process, in particular, related to the accuracy and reproducibility of cell manufacturing. Furthermore, the need for a skilled workforce, coupled with the time and cost investments required for technology transfer to manufacturing facilities, presents additional hurdles. Based on the memorandum of agreement signed in May, 2024, Astellas and YASKAWA have been advancing discussions toward establishing a joint venture to leverage their mutual strengths and accelerate efforts to address these challenges. The planned joint venture will leverage Astellas' expertise in R&D and manufacturing for cell therapy and the dual arm robot "Maholo," developed by YASKAWA's subsidiary, Robotic Biology Institute. The closing and establishment of the joint venture company are subject to certain closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals. Joint Venture Company: Overview Name To be determined Capital 4.5 billion yen (includes capital reserve) Capital Structure Astellas 60%, YASKAWA 40% Establishment （tentative） September 2025 Business Develop a cell therapy product manufacturing platform and offer access to startups and academic institutions. 1. Explore a manufacturing process with high precision and reproducibility using 'Maholo' and optimize the digitized manufacturing process with AI 2. Transfer the digitalized manufacturing process to 'Maholo' at other manufacturing facilities via one-click* transfer and develop a cell manufacturing platform that meets GMP conditions 3. Develop manufacturing processes for cell therapy product candidates of partners, such as academia and startups, as well as manufacture investigational drugs in GMP facilities * GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice): A standard for ensuring the safety and quality of pharmaceuticalproduct manufacturing * One Click Transfer: Rapid transfer of established manufacturing process to facilities without hands-on training of workers Through the establishment of a joint venture and the development of a cell therapy manufacturing platform, Astellas is committed to addressing the challenges of commercializing cell therapy and supporting academia and startup companies in implementing innovative cell therapies. By integrating advanced technologies into its cell therapy expertise, Astellas aims to develop potentially transformative cell therapy for patients with limited or no treatment options. Please visit this for more details. YASKAWA has provided automation solutions for medical testing processes, including cancer genome diagnostics, iPS cell culture, and PCR testing, through delivering "Maholo." With the establishment of a joint venture, YASKAWA aims to expand the use cases of robots in the field of cell therapy beyond the existing life science field. About AstellasAstellas is a global life sciences company committed to turning innovative science into VALUE for patients. We provide transformative therapies in disease areas that include oncology, ophthalmology, urology, immunology and women's health. Through our research and development programs, we are pioneering new healthcare solutions for diseases with high unmet medical need. Learn more at Astellas Cautionary NotesIn this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties. Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc. Sign in to access your portfolio
