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R&D INFORMATION

R&D Organization

Building Global Teamwork

DAIICHI SANKYO established an R&D system at three pivotal sites (Japan, the U.S. and Europe) to support swift progress in research and development. While making allowance for the regional characteristics of the R&D environment, we aim to file applications for approval simultaneously in all three markets in order to deliver new drugs to patients around the world faster than ever. To this end, we enhance our R&D productivity by strengthening and coordinating the functions of each operation through global management.

Worldwide R&D Organization

Diagram showing distribution of global development sites

(Diagram showing distribution of global development sites)

Operating mainly at the three sites in Japan (Shinagawa, Kasai, and Hiratsuka), the R&D Division, the Pharmaceutical Technology Division and Daiichi Sankyo RD Novare collaborate closely with overseas operations such as in the US (New Jersey and Berkley) and Europe (London and Munich) in all the stages from drug discovery to development and manufacture. To this end, we are working as an multinational team under a global decision-making system, while making allowance for the different parameters of the R&D environment in each region.

Furthermore, we have established R&D locations in key emerging markets, Shanghai and Beijing in China and Gurgaon in India. We expect that the roles of these emerging market locations will become much more important than before.

Platform of wide-ranging Research

DAIICHI SANKYO’s R&D Locations in Japan

The R&D Centers in Kasai and Shinagawa are in charge of the synthesis and evaluation of candidate substances, and non-clinical research as well. The Fukuroi Research Center is engaged in safety research and the Hiratsuka Plant manufactures trial drugs used in clinical studies and carries out research on the commercialization of drugs.

The DAIICHI SANKYO Group also includes Asubio Pharma Co. Ltd., a drug innovator with a highly original approach. Asubio uses biotechnology concepts to find new target drugs by identifying disease-related changes in biological functions.

As of April 1, 2010, Asubio Pharma focuses core function of drug discovery research from discovery of drug candidate to preclinical study. Asubio Pharma aims further growth as in-house venture of discovery research.

German-based U3 Pharma GmbH, which DAIICHI SANKYO acquired in 2008, focuses on the research on antibodies for malignant neoplasm. U3 Pharma has two promising antibodies (anti-HER3 and anti-HB-EGF) for malignant neoplasm and can boast of close ties with the Max Planck Institute, one of Germany’s most respected research institutions. The addition of U3 Pharma to our Group should open up opportunities for our domestic laboratories to cooperate with such research institutions overseas.

Since July 2010, Ranbaxy's New Drug Discovery Research(NDDR) incorporated into the Global Research function of Daiichi Sankyo Group and was renamed Daiichi Sankyo Life Science Research Centre in India (RCI). RCI collaborates with other organizations in DS Global Research Function.
Meanwhile, not only to accelerate our entry into the oncology market but strengthen our pipeline, Plexxikon Inc. based in Berkeley, California has become a new member of DS Global Research Function since April 2011.
With the acquisition, Daiichi Sankyo has own Discovery Research bases in Japan, US, Europe and India.
Through pursuing research while leveraging their own strength respectively, we will further strengthen research function for the discovery of First-in-Class medicines.

Executive Bodies for Decision-Making and Implementation of R&D Projects
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