DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED

A Japanese drugmaker transformed by Enhertu, the antibody-drug conjugate that made it one of the most closely watched oncology companies in the world.

DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED headquarters

Business Description

Daiichi Sankyo concentrates on oncology, built around its antibody-drug conjugate platform — antibodies that carry a cytotoxic payload directly to tumour cells. Enhertu, developed in house and partnered with AstraZeneca, has expanded from late-line breast cancer into earlier lines and other tumour types; datopotamab deruxtecan and further ADCs follow behind it. A smaller specialty business covers vaccines and established medicines in Japan.

The AstraZeneca alliances brought several billion dollars in upfront payments and shared the development cost, but also share the profits, so the economics differ from a wholly owned drug. The concentration in one modality is the central risk and the central opportunity. The company was formed in 2005 by the merger of Sankyo and Daiichi Pharmaceutical, two of Japan's oldest drug houses.

Corporate Data

Ticker4568
ExchangeTokyo Stock Exchange
Size CategoryTOPIX Core30
Market SegmentPrime Market
SectorPharmaceuticals
Head Office3-5-1 Nihonbashi-Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8426, Japan
FoundedSeptember 28, 2005
Fiscal Year EndMarch 31
WebsiteOfficial website

Latest Coverage

JapanStockPulse provides informational content only and does not constitute investment advice. All figures are sourced from publicly available company disclosures and may be subject to revision.