Daiichi Sankyo and Sarah Cannon Research Institute Launch Strategic Collaboration to Develop Novel Cancer Therapies

NASHVILLE, Tenn. and TOKYO and MUNICH and BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Dec. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) and Sarah Cannon Research Institute announced today a strategic oncology development collaboration. This partnership brings together Daiichi Sankyo's expertise in developing novel cancer agents with Sarah Cannon's leadership in designing and optimizing clinical trials to expand treatment options for patients.

"We look forward to partnering with Sarah Cannon to accelerate drug development globally for patients with cancer who need more innovative therapies," said Tom Held, Vice President, Head, Antibody Drug Conjugate Task Force, Oncology Research and Development, Daiichi Sankyo. "We believe that this collaboration will help to make an impact in the field of cancer research, as we combine our operational and scientific expertise to focus on the development of targeted therapies, such as antibody drug conjugates. We look forward to initiating with Sarah Cannon joint clinical activities in the U.S. and Japan as quickly as possible."

"Sarah Cannon's expertise and focus on oncology drug development provides a solid platform to enable us to partner with Daiichi Sankyo on exploring these promising new agents," said Johanna Bendell, MD, Chief Development Officer, Sarah Cannon. "We greatly value the trust that Daiichi Sankyo has placed in our team and are excited to offer novel therapies for our cancer patients."

Through Sarah Cannon Development Innovations, its full-service, oncology-focused contract research organization (CRO), Sarah Cannon will provide comprehensive clinical development services and operational delivery to several of Daiichi Sankyo's translational development programs. The collaboration will enable rapid patient enrollment to clinical trials through Sarah Cannon's extensive research network across the U.S. and UK, which serves thousands of patients annually in clinical trials, as well as through Daiichi Sankyo's clinical network in Japan.

About Daiichi Sankyo Cancer Enterprise
The mission of Daiichi Sankyo Cancer Enterprise is to leverage our world-class, innovative science and push beyond traditional thinking to create meaningful treatments for patients with cancer. We are dedicated to transforming science into value for patients, and this sense of obligation informs everything we do. Anchored by three pillars including our investigational Antibody Drug Conjugate Franchise, Acute Myeloid Leukemia Franchise and Breakthrough Science, we aim to deliver seven distinct new molecular entities over eight years during 2018 to 2025. Our powerful research engines include two laboratories for biologic/immuno-oncology and small molecules in Japan, and Plexxikon Inc., our small molecule structure-guided R&D center in Berkeley, CA. Compounds in pivotal stage development include: [fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan, an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) for HER2 expressing breast, gastric and other cancers; quizartinib, an oral selective FLT3 inhibitor, for newly-diagnosed and relapsed/refractory FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leukemia (AML); and pexidartinib, an oral CSF1R inhibitor, for tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). For more information, please visit: www.DSCancerEnterprise.com.

About Daiichi Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo Group is dedicated to the creation and supply of innovative pharmaceutical products to address diversified, unmet medical needs of patients in both mature and emerging markets. With over 100 years of scientific expertise and a presence in more than 20 countries, Daiichi Sankyo and its 15,000 employees around the world draw upon a rich legacy of innovation and a robust pipeline of promising new medicines to help people. In addition to a strong portfolio of medicines for hypertension and thrombotic disorders, under the Group's 2025 Vision to become a "Global Pharma Innovator with Competitive Advantage in Oncology," Daiichi Sankyo research and development is primarily focused on bringing forth novel therapies in oncology, including immuno-oncology, with additional focus on new horizon areas, such as pain management, neurodegenerative diseases, heart and kidney diseases, and other rare diseases. For more information, please visit: www.daiichisankyo.com.

About Sarah Cannon Research Institute
Sarah Cannon Research Institute is one of the world's leading clinical research organizations conducting community-based clinical trials throughout the United States and United Kingdom. Sarah Cannon's network of strategic sites includes hundreds of physicians who engage in research. With a focus on advancing therapies for patients, the organization has led more than 300 first-in-man clinical trials since its inception in 1993, and has been a clinical trial leader in the majority of approved cancer therapies over the last 10 years.

Additionally, Sarah Cannon offers management, regulatory, and other research support services for drug development and industry sponsors through its contract research organization (CRO), Sarah Cannon Development Innovations. As the CRO of Sarah Cannon, it leverages expert physician leadership to design and implement clinical trials that effectively and efficiently lead to rapid clinical development decisions. For more information, please visit sarahcannon.com.

Contact
Jennifer Brennan
Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.
[email protected]  
+1 908 992 6631 (office)
+1 201 709 9309 (cell)

December 2018   Job Code: ONP/18/0036

    

SOURCE Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited