NJ-DAIICHI-SANKYO
Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) today announced Ken Takeshita, MD will be named the new Global Head of Research & Development as of April 1, 2021. On that date, Dr. Junichi Koga will retire from the position, after a successful and industrious career, including more than 12 years at Daiichi Sankyo.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210222005290/en/
Dr. Takeshita joins Daiichi Sankyo from Kite Pharma, a Gilead Company, where he was Senior Vice President and Global Head of Development since 2019, and interim Head of Research. Ken is a highly experienced physician with deep experience in oncology and rare diseases. Prior to Kite, he served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Research at Sorrento Therapeutics and Corporate Vice President of Clinical R&D at Celgene. He has led full-scale global drug development programs across hematological and solid tumors at Kite, Celgene and Amgen. Before joining the biopharmaceutical industry, Ken was on the faculty in Hematology at Yale University School of Medicine and New York University School of Medicine. He earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Harvard University and his medical degree from Yale University. He received post-doctoral training in hematology, oncology and developmental biology at Yale and in hematopoiesis at University of Tokyo.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ken into the Daiichi Sankyo family to lead global R&D in our continued transformation into a global oncology leader and to pursue world-class science and technology,” said Sunao Manabe, President and CEO, Daiichi Sankyo Company, Ltd. “Ken brings remarkable depth and breadth of experience to our organization – from first-hand patient care to overseeing more than 20 registrational trials leading to many regulatory approvals. I am confident that Ken is the right leader to bring Daiichi Sankyo into our next phase of drug discovery and development, as we innovate and deliver practice-changing medicines to our global community.”
“I am honored to join the Daiichi Sankyo R&D organization to seek to extend and improve lives of patients and eliminate cancer altogether,” said Dr. Ken Takeshita. “I have watched Daiichi Sankyo build and grow with admiration. I look forward to bringing the Company’s antibody drug conjugates and new, innovative modalities to more patients and to working in a unique company culture with Japanese roots, fitting of a world-class global organization,” said Dr. Takeshita.
“Junichi has been instrumental in shaping our current R&D portfolio, particularly in spearheading the establishment of our biologics research organization, out of which our incredibly promising ADC pipeline was born,” said Dr. Manabe. “We thank him for his dedication to patients and to Daiichi Sankyo and look forward to continuing to work with him as an advisor to me and our leaders in 2021.”
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210222005290/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Enerin raises €15 million Series A to industrialise modular high-temperature heat pumps for global industry26.11.2025 10:00:00 CET | Press release
Norway-based technology leader in industrial heat pumps, Enerin AS, has raised €15 million in an oversubscribed Series A led by Climentum Capital, The Footprint Firm, Johnson Controls and Move Energy. The investment marks Enerin’s transition from technology pioneer to serial production. Proceeds will expand commercial and manufacturing operations, and accelerate next-generation development. Johnson Controls’ participation provides strategic validation and global reach from one of the world’s leading providers of energy systems. Enerin, a technology leader in high-temperature heat pumps, has raised €15 million (NOK 180 million) in a Series A led by Climentum Capital, The Footprint Firm, Johnson Controls and Move Energy, with participation from PSV Hafnium and Momentum. “This investment marks our shift from pioneering to full industrialisation, bringing proven high-temperature technology from Norway to industries worldwide,” said Arne Høeg, Founder and CEO of Enerin. “Industrial companie
IQM to Invest Over €40 Million to Expand Finland Production Facility, Accelerate Innovation and Fuel Growth26.11.2025 09:49:00 CET | Press release
The new facility will produce advanced quantum chips for error corrected quantum computers, almost double the cleanroom space and system assembly line capacity to produce up to 30 quantum computers per year. The integrated quantum computer production line will be one of the world’s most advanced of its kind combining fabrication of quantum chips and system assembly. The expansion is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026. The expansion is part of IQM’s long-term commitment to scale its infrastructure and execute the ambitious technology roadmap aiming at 1M quantum computers by 2033. IQM Quantum Computers, a global leader in superconducting quantum computers, today announced over €40 million investment to expand its state-of-the-art production facility in Finland. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251126943986/en/ This strategic expansion will accelerate the development, fabrication and testing of
Thredd Powers Successful Migration of BigPay’s Card Portfolio to Next-Gen Platform26.11.2025 09:00:00 CET | Press release
The transition of millions of cards showcases Thredd’s superior capabilities amid a high-stakes, global trend of sunsetting legacy processing engagements Thredd, the leading next-generation global payments processor, has successfully migrated BigPay’s virtual and physical card portfolio from its previous, legacy processor to Thredd’s next-generation platform, underscoring Thredd’s leadership in complex card portfolio migrations. The migration project, one of several in recent years, included over 2.5 million cards and highlights Thredd’s unique combination of deep migration experience, robust processes, and advanced technology—qualities increasingly critical as the industry faces a wave of modernisation and replatforming. This achievement comes at a pivotal moment for the industry. Industry analysts estimate that retail banks failing to modernise could see 10% to 15% of their payments revenue at risk annually as legacy platforms struggle to keep pace with demands for hyperpersonalizati
With Two in Five Employees Undergoing Fertility Treatment Leaving Their Jobs or Considering Quitting, Are Companies Doing Enough?26.11.2025 08:00:00 CET | Press release
An international survey, spanning Australia, France, Japan, Poland and the UK, has found that many employees experiencing fertility challenges lack support in the workplace, with almost two in five (39%) leaving or considering leaving their roles while undergoing treatment.1 ‘The Impact of Fertility Challenges at Work: International Insights’ survey by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Fertility Matters at Work and This Can Happen shows that, despite growing awareness of reproductive health, two thirds (67%) who have experienced fertility challenges say that their workplaces do not offer support for employees undergoing fertility treatment, with France the least likely to provide it (88%).1 60% said they were not clearly entitled to time off for fertility appointments, with time recorded as paid leave, unpaid leave or annual leave (26%), and some also reported taking sick leave due to a lack of flexibility (17%).1 With assisted reproduction therapy, including IVF, already accounting for up to 1
Venture Global and Tokyo Gas Announce 20-Year LNG Sales and Purchase Agreement26.11.2025 01:00:00 CET | Press release
Venture Global’s fourth long-term contract with a Japanese company7.75 MTPA of long-term contracts signed by Venture Global to date in 2025 Today, Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE: VG) and Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd announced the execution of a new, long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA). Under the SPA, Tokyo Gas will procure 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG from Venture Global for 20 years, starting in 2030. This deal marks 7.75MTPA of SPAs signed by Venture Global in the last six months. “With nearly 8 MTPA of new long-term commitments signed this year, Venture Global is pleased to build on our commercial momentum through this new partnership with Tokyo Gas,” said Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel. “Tokyo Gas is a pioneer in the LNG industry and leading provider of natural gas to Japan, and we look forward to working with them as we grow our position as a top LNG supplier to Japan. This agreement will contribute significantly to the US-Japan balance of trade o
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom