Astellas eyes Chinese R&D for global edge

China has emerged as a key player in Astellas Pharma's global research and development strategy, and the multinational pharmaceutical company is actively investing in China's R&D capabilities, including partnerships with local biotech companies and fostering talent, a senior executive told China Daily in a recent interview.

China's rapid advancements in science and technology, combined with its supportive regulatory environment, provide a fertile ground for collaboration and growth, said Tadaaki Taniguchi, chief medical officer of Astellas Pharma, which focuses on cutting-edge technologies and innovative treatments. "This is a huge opportunity for us to do more in China."

"We can bring new medicines into China as quickly as possible, but also bring such medicines (developed in China) to the world. For us, it is very positive to see great science coming from China," he said.

Taniguchi said Astellas is committed to leveraging cutting-edge technologies like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), gene therapy and targeted protein degradation to develop novel treatments for unmet medical needs. ADCs are a newly emerging class of highly potent pharmaceutical therapies, usually for treating cancer.

"We believe that Chinese scientists and researchers possess immense potential and expertise," he said. "By collaborating with local innovators in China, we can accelerate the development of novel therapies and bring them to patients around the world."

Thanks to China's drug regulatory reforms since 2015 that encourage innovations to improve accessibility and affordability of quality drugs for patients, development of innovative drugs has gathered momentum in recent years amid increased research spending, faster new drug registration and growing international collaboration.

The past few years have also witnessed a growing number of foreign pharmaceutical companies establishing partnerships with Chinese biotech companies. Some have licensed-in drug pipelines from local developers.

Data from online pharmaceutical platform Pharmcube showed that there were about 70 out-licensing deals in China in 2023, with announced transaction value totaling more than $35 billion.

Astellas itself has entered into a partnership with Chinese clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Elpiscience Biopharma.

The two companies announced a research collaboration and license agreement for novel bispecific macrophage engager, and cancer treatment candidate ES019 and another unnamed program late last year. Novel bispecific macrophage engager is an antibody-based platform to activate specific biological activity to destroy specific tumor cells.

"I see the great opportunity for China to contribute more to global (drug) development, especially in the early stages of programs," he said.

The company is keen to tap the potential to develop initiatives in China that will benefit not only Chinese patients, but also the worldwide community, Taniguchi said.

He had much praise for China's efforts to improve the regulatory environment for the pharmaceutical industry, which he said is one of the reasons behind China's rising prowess in global new drug research and development.

As one example of the enhancements in the regulatory process, the clinical trial procedures for proposal submissions have been improved "dramatically", he said.

"I worked in China 12 years ago, and at that time, it took more than two years to start the clinical trial after submitting a clinical trial application. Now it has become much shorter — depending on the situation, about six months to nine months," he said.

Such improvement enables the company to incorporate the Chinese market into many global medical research projects, he added.

Bi Jingquan, chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said biomedicine is a vital component of China's push for new quality productive forces, and the rollout of policies aimed at further enhancing the protection of intellectual property and data in the biomedical sector will foster a more conducive business environment for all enterprises, including multinational companies.

"We encourage Astellas to continue to increase its investments in China, bringing more innovative treatment options to Chinese patients," Bi said when Taniguchi paid a visit to the center recently.

liuzhihua@chinadaily.com.cn