Astellas Pharma has formalised a collaboration with the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research (JFCR) to advance translational and clinical research focused on oncology.
The partnership is aimed at accelerating the development of new treatments for cancers that show resistance to existing therapies.
The initiative combines Astellas’ capabilities in scientific discovery, translational research and clinical development with the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research’s position as a major cancer-focused institution.
The organisations will jointly identify and pursue projects aligned with mutual areas of interest and scientific strengths.
Under the terms of the agreement, selected projects will be designed to generate new translational and clinical datasets linked to Astellas’ early-stage pipeline assets. These findings will be integrated with Astellas’ proprietary data with the aim of refining and progressing development programmes more efficiently.
Astellas chief research and development officer Tadaaki Taniguchi said: “With a diverse set of early-stage oncology assets spanning multiple cutting-edge modalities, we are committed to delivering the next generation of therapies with outcomes that matter for patients.
“Through our partnerships, we can collectively enhance the insights and expertise that are critical for accelerating the development of new and innovative treatments for patients in need.”
According to the companies, the collaboration is intended to bolster Astellas’ efforts in advancing translational research frameworks while enhancing clinical trial capabilities.
The Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, in turn, will benefit from early engagement with Astellas’ developmental assets and gain access to additional scientific resources.
Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research chairman Toshio Asano said: “Bringing new treatments to patients is our mission, and we believe that partnership between industry and academia is essential to drive drug development.
“We are very pleased to partner with Astellas, which has an innovative pipeline, to accelerate translational research and development.”
In a separate development last month, Astellas and YASKAWA Electric entered into a definitive agreement to launch a joint venture focused on cell therapy manufacturing. The planned venture is expected to support the creation of a cell therapy product manufacturing platform using the “Maholo” dual-arm robotic system.
The new company will also open its manufacturing platform to startups and academic partners to promote broader innovation within the cell therapy ecosystem.
The joint venture will be built on Astellas’ experience in research, development and manufacturing of cell therapies, in conjunction with YASKAWA subsidiary Robotic Biology Institute’s development of the Maholo system. Establishment of the joint venture remains subject to fulfilment of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
