Astellas Pharma has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED) to support Korean pharmaceutical startups’ global growth.
Astellas and KISED will operate the Partnership with Global Companies Program, which aims to identify these startups in Korea.
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Astellas chief research and development officer Tadaaki Taniguchi stated: “We are very pleased to agree on an MoU with KISED for the operation of the Partnership with Global Companies Program.
“Astellas is committed to fostering innovation in collaboration with startups by providing the knowledge and expertise we have gained through our research and global network. We expect that the signing of this MoU will further strengthen and accelerate drug discovery research together with Korean startups, ultimately contributing to the creation of innovative medical solutions.”
KISED will oversee management and provide research funding for the programme. Astellas will offer selected Korean drug-discovery startups access to facilities at SakuLab-Tsukuba within its Tsukuba research centre.
These startups will benefit from consultations with Astellas experts and opportunities to expedite their drug discovery research by networking with other residents and researchers at the company.
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By GlobalDataThe initiative has already seen two Korean pharma and biotech firms chosen for collaboration: TCUBEiT, focusing on next-generation T-cell-based immunotherapy, and AAVATAR Therapeutics, specialising in AAV viral vector engineering technology.
Both companies will commence an intensive collaborative phase by establishing operations at SakuLab-Tsukuba.
In May 2025, Astellas Pharma entered an exclusive licensing agreement with Evopoint Biosciences for XNW27011, a clinical-stage antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2).
Astellas agreed to pay Evopoint $130m upfront and up to $70m in near-term payments along with development, commercialisation and regulatory milestone payments totalling up to $1.34bn, and royalties on the ADC’s net sales if approved.
