June 3, 2025
Source: drugdu
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In 2024, under the policy of "innovative drugs" being written into the government work report for the first time, the number of innovative drug management lines and asset quality of China's biomedical market will continue to break through, and become an important pole of the global pharmaceutical market, opening the prelude to the global competition of local innovative drugs.
In this milestone year, the multinational pharmaceutical company Astellas, which has been in China for 30 years, has also ushered in a crucial turning point. The appointment of the first local "leader" Zhao Ping injects new development momentum into the enterprise - internal cultural transformation and upgrading, continuous improvement of external influence and reputation, and acceleration of localization strategy
Furthermore, for the first time, Astellai has included enhancing the capabilities of its Chinese team as a key focus of the group. It has achieved multiple accomplishments in China, including continuous approval of 7 products and indications (5 of which focus on the field of cancer), benefiting over 100000 patients with transplant immunotherapy, participating in the first phase of global clinical research for the first time, achieving synchronous research and approval with the world for the first time, and obtaining the "China Outstanding Employer" certification for the first time.
These achievements are more intuitively reflected in financial data. In the fiscal year 2024, Astellai achieved sales revenue of 1.91 trillion yen and core operating profit of 392.4 billion yen. Among them, the revenue of 78.3 billion yen (+10.9%) in the Chinese business district has become an important engine for global performance growth, demonstrating the vitality of development in China with the highest revenue in 30 years and the highest business growth rate in the past seven years.
It is particularly worth mentioning that Astellas China continues to accelerate innovation, with multiple heavyweight innovative therapies being approved one after another, continuously refreshing the speed of innovative drug landing. Regarding the rapid advancement of Astellas China, Zhao Ping, the President of Astellas China, pointed out that this is not only due to the accelerated approval of innovative products to inject confidence into the headquarters, but also due to the strategic transformation and upgrading of Astellas China's market.
Looking ahead to the future, Zhao Ping said, "Anstelai will continue to strengthen its presence in the Chinese market, closely follow the medical needs of local patients, accelerate the introduction of global innovative therapies, explore new business models, deepen cooperation with local enterprises, and bring better treatment solutions to patients through a sustainable growth path, injecting innovative power into the development of China's pharmaceutical industry
Putting patients at the center and accelerating innovation implementation
In recent years, China has issued intensive policies around the high-quality development of the innovative drug industry, building a full chain support system from financing, payment, and evaluation, injecting strong momentum into the research and development, production, and commercialization of innovative drugs. In Zhao Ping's view, this series of policies creates favorable conditions for accelerating the entire industry chain of innovative drugs, and Astellas China is the direct beneficiary of this policy dividend.
In the past year, Astellas China has successively obtained approval for 7 new products and indications, including prostate cancer, urothelial carcinoma, gastric cancer and other fields. The first and currently only approved CLDN18.2 targeted innovative therapy in China has been approved for first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma with CLDN18.2 positive and HER2 negative. Following this, the first first-line combination therapy of Nectin-4 ADC therapy in the field of urothelial carcinoma has also been approved for marketing in China. In addition, the world's first non hormonal, selective neurokinin-3 (NK3) receptor antagonist for treating menopausal related vasoconstriction in menopausal women was first used in Boao Lecheng, Hainan, China.
The landing of these innovative drugs is profoundly rewriting the diagnosis and treatment pattern of related diseases in China. Taking Nectin-4 ADC therapy as an example, it has achieved a breakthrough in the treatment of urothelial carcinoma, achieving a "platinum revolution".
Zhao Ping introduced that before the launch of this therapy, platinum based chemotherapy was the mainstream treatment for advanced urothelial carcinoma. The combination of Nectin-4 ADC therapy and immunotherapy has achieved "platinum removal" for the first time, and clinical data shows that its first-line treatment median survival is doubled compared to traditional regimens, with good tolerability, laying the foundation for a "new platinum free standard".
At present, this combination therapy has been prescribed in Beijing, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai and other places, which not only brings a safer and more effective new treatment plan for advanced urothelial carcinoma patients in China, but also promotes the accumulation of treatment practice and clinical evidence in this field, and further promotes the updating and iteration of urothelial carcinoma treatment strategies, bringing more blessings to patients and their families.
Behind this, it is inseparable from Astellai's profound insight into the Chinese market and active practice of the "patient-centered" concept. In order to better achieve a patient-centered approach, Astellai China has launched a corporate culture transformation centered on "win-win" in 2024, committed to combining organizational strategic goals with employee career development to maximize patient benefits and ultimately achieve a win-win situation for patients, employees, the company, and other stakeholders.
In terms of organizational structure, Anstelai China optimizes with the realization of patient value as the core, dividing different departments into three major sections: value creation, value delivery, and value empowerment to ensure efficient collaboration in each link. At the same time, from the three dimensions of "professionalism," "profession," and "dedication," we aim to assist employees in their career development, stimulate their potential, and create greater value for patients.
Currently, opportunities and challenges coexist in the pharmaceutical industry, and continuously improving the competitiveness of employees and teams is a prerequisite for enterprises to achieve sustainable development. Thanks to its outstanding performance over the past year, Astellai China has been awarded the title of "Outstanding Employer in China" for the first time in 2025.
This is the first time that Anstelai has received this honor after more than 30 years of deep cultivation in China, fully recognizing Anstelai's outstanding achievements in accelerating innovation, promoting the transformation of the "patient-centered" corporate culture, carrying out team capacity building, promoting sustainable development, and building a DE&I (diversity, fairness, and inclusiveness) workplace culture. And this "people-oriented" employer brand concept has also laid a solid foundation for Astellai's continuous innovation and improvement of market competitiveness.
Building a local ecosystem to achieve complementary advantages and strategic synergy
Since entering the Chinese market in 1994, Astellai has always adhered to the concept of "in China, for China" and fulfilled its commitment to Chinese patients. With the improvement of domestic new drug approval efficiency and the vigorous development of innovative drug ecology, Astellas China's exploration of localization process is becoming increasingly in-depth. From cooperation in research and development to full channel layout in commercialization, it is using "win-win cooperation" as the engine to create a benchmark paradigm in the localization transformation of multinational pharmaceutical companies.
Zhao Ping introduced that Ansteel's localization strategy in China must always follow the principle of "complementary advantages+strategic synergy". "The future business model cannot rely on past experience, but must rely on win-win cooperation, achieve complementary advantages with innovative thinking, and maximize market opportunities
On the one hand, in the R&D link, the introduction of external innovation has become an important strategy for multinational pharmaceutical enterprises to improve their R&D efficiency, and Astellay is embracing local innovation with a more active and open attitude. For example, by the end of 2023, Asterai and local innovative enterprise Kewang will launch a new BiME ® The dual anti macrophage adaptor platform and candidate drug ES019 have reached a cooperative development and licensing agreement with another molecular project, and both parties will collaborate to complete the development of the two projects.
On May 30, 2025, Astellas China announced once again that it has reached an exclusive licensing agreement with Sinovac Pharmaceuticals for XNW27011. This is a new antibody coupled drug (ADC) targeting CLDN18.2 that is in clinical research stage. Astellar will have the exclusive right to develop and commercialize this drug in the world (except Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan).
China's global leading position in cutting-edge fields such as cell therapy and gene therapy provides unique cooperation opportunities for Astellas, and Astellas' global layout actively empowers the development of local enterprises. In the future, the company will explore deep cooperation with local scientific research institutions in the Proof of Concept stage, such as using artificial intelligence to assist in target screening, or optimizing drug production processes using robot technology to shorten the transformation cycle of innovative drugs from laboratory to clinical. ”Zhao Ping emphasized.
On the other hand, in the commercialization stage, Astellas China has also had a forward-looking layout.
In April 2025, Astellas will once again join hands with Shangyao Holdings, fully leveraging Astellas' leading advantages in innovative drug research and supply, as well as Shangyao Holdings' rich experience in innovative drug lifecycle management. This strong alliance will enhance the accessibility of precision cancer treatment drugs and enable global innovation achievements to benefit Chinese patients more quickly.
In order to further enhance the accessibility and affordability of innovative drugs for patients, Astellas actively responds to the national medical insurance policy and includes multiple core varieties in the fields of oncology, immunology, urology, etc. in the catalog through medical insurance negotiations. At the same time, actively explore innovative payment models such as commercial supplementary medical insurance, and make efforts in production and supply chain.
The accessibility of biopharmaceutical production is becoming a key factor, and we are actively exploring production strategies that are close to the Chinese market. By optimizing costs and supply chain efficiency, innovative drugs can reach patients in a more economical way, "explained Zhao Ping.
In fact, Astellas' efforts in drug accessibility have gained international recognition. In the 2024 Drug Accessibility Index, Astellas ranked 15th among the top 20 pharmaceutical companies, an increase of 1 place from 2022, and received high scores in accessibility governance. Anstelai's comprehensive health accessibility strategy is consistent with the goals proposed by the Drug Accessibility Foundation, committed to utilizing medical capabilities and technology globally, collaborating with external partners, and providing drugs to patients around the world.
Comprehensive upgrade: rooted in China, racing globally
The tide of the times is surging forward, and only by building development momentum with core competitiveness can enterprises stand at the forefront of change.
When it comes to the strategic layout of Astellas in China, Zhao Ping pointed out that "China is not only a market with huge potential, but also a core engine driving global innovation. In accelerating the introduction of new drug research and development, improving patient accessibility, and other tracks, Astellas China still has broad development space
At present, China's pharmaceutical innovation has transformed from a "follower" to a "global research and development hub". Astellas China takes the "Focus Area Approach" as its strategic pivot to promote the company's comprehensive transition from the field of generic drugs to cutting-edge tracks such as cancer, blindness and regeneration, and gene therapy.
The core of Focus Area is to establish technological barriers in areas of expertise. ”Zhao Ping explained that after decades of deep cultivation, the enterprise has built a multi track collaborative innovation matrix. For example, in the field of oncology, a full chain product pipeline has been formed, including new endocrine therapies for prostate cancer, Nectin-4 ADC for urothelial cancer, and CLDN18.2 monoclonal antibody for gastric cancer. We continue to promote unmet medical needs such as ophthalmology and gene therapy, and expand our coverage to include various forms such as chemical drugs, biological drugs, ADC, etc.
With China's deep integration into the global innovation system, Astellas China is actively implementing the research and development strategy of "in China for China, in China for Global", including China in the early stages of clinical development trials, shortening the time gap between new drug approval in China and globally, competing for global innovation, and accelerating patient benefits.
Zhao Ping gave an example that in the development of CLDN18.2 monoclonal antibodies, the Chinese team initiated global synchronous research and development in 2019, achieving synchronous research and development, submission, and approval through three mechanisms: the headquarters has included China in the global development core system, breaking the traditional model of "later market introduction"; Chinese clinical experts serve as the world's chief clinical trial researchers, integrating localization habits into clinical design; Establish a full chain collaboration mechanism to ensure that early R&D recommendations reach global decision-making levels.
Data shows that in the GLOW study, one of the key registration studies for this therapy, China contributed 30% of the enrolled patients, and clinical data directly empowered global registration, becoming a typical case of "Chinese wisdom driving global innovation". At the same time, Astellas China has also achieved a series of milestone breakthroughs in research and development: the first globally synchronized product developed and submitted for market application, the first product to pass on-site inspection by the US FDA and pass smoothly
At the same time, Astellas China has implemented innovative drug review and approval policies to shorten the time from new drug application (NDA) approval to commercialization, actively participating in medical insurance negotiations, exploring commercial supplementary medical insurance, and other stages from research and development to commercialization, accelerating the construction of a full chain from research and development to patient accessibility.
In the wave of AI reshaping the pharmaceutical ecosystem, Astellas China is once again driving a leap forward through technological integration. On the R&D side, Astellas China collaborates with robotics companies to develop an AI driven drug production optimization platform, significantly reducing the traditional 10-20 year R&D cycle; The diagnostic end has launched the CLDN18.2 diagnostic online tool, which uses AI assisted target detection and patient education; Exploring the AI automation loop of "symptom input detection suggestion treatment plan" in patient management, promoting the transformation of medical mode towards "active health management".
From the global collaborative development of CLDN18.2 monoclonal antibody to the construction of an intelligent innovation system, Anstelai's unique path of "Chinese wisdom+global resources" not only allows Chinese patients to enjoy global innovation synchronously, but also promotes China to become the core engine of global pharmaceutical innovation.
As Zhao Ping said, "When the global experience of multinational corporations resonates with China's innovation potential, Astellas takes root in Chinese soil, competes for global innovation, and brings medical progress to every patient
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