Daiichi Sankyo Korea has unveiled plans to introduce five antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies by 2030, as part of its strategy to reinforce its leadership in the global oncology market. The announcement was made during the company’s “Science & Technology Day 2025” event in Seoul on Wednesday, commemorating the one-year anniversary of Enhertu’s (trastuzumab deruxtecan) reimbursement in Korea.
Daiichi Sankyo Korea CEO Kim Jeong-tae explains the company’s plans to introduce five ADC products in Korea by 2030. (Credit: KBR)
Daiichi Sankyo Korea CEO Kim Jeong-tae explains the company’s plans to introduce five ADC products in Korea by 2030. (Credit: KBR)
Since April 2024, Enhertu has been reimbursed for HER2-positive breast and gastric cancers. Recently, Korean authorities expanded its reimbursement to include gastric cancer patients who have failed not only cisplatin but also oxaliplatin-based treatments, reflecting the drug’s growing utility in clinical settings.
“The company is shifting its focus from cardiovascular diseases to oncology, anchored by its proprietary DXd-ADC platform,” Daiichi Sankyo Korea CEO Kim Jeong-tae said. “The company is currently developing a pipeline that includes Dato-DXd (datopotamab deruxtecan), HER3-DXd (patritumab deruxtecan), I-DXd (efinatamab deruxtecan), and R-DXd (raludotatug deruxtecan), in addition to Enhertu.”
Dato-DXd, now branded as Datoroway, recently received U.S. FDA approval for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.
Though an earlier application for NSCLC was withdrawn due to trial results, the company has resumed regulatory discussions and is pursuing approval for EGFR-mutant NSCLC. HER3-DXd and I-DXd, co-developed with MSD, are in development for EGFR-mutant and small cell lung cancer, respectively.
“All four pipeline candidates were recognized as top investigational assets at the ADC World Awards,” Daiichi Sankyo Korea Oncology Medical Unit Head Koh Young-moon said. “The combination studies, including Dato-DXd with immunotherapies, may offer enhanced efficacy, with biomarker-driven strategies under exploration.”
Under its “Expand & Extend” strategy, Daiichi Sankyo aims to broaden ADC indications beyond breast and lung cancers and improve treatment outcomes through combination regimens, novel formulations, and next-generation modalities. The company is also advancing subcutaneous ADC formats and payloads with new mechanisms of action.
As of 2024, over 40 of the company’s global clinical trials are active in Korea, with two Korean institutions selected for phase 1 trials among just 15 global sites.
CEO Kim emphasized the Korean affiliate’s role in facilitating early access to innovative therapies by acting as a bridge between headquarters and local medical institutions.
“By 2030, we plan to bring five ADC therapies to Korea and expand treatment options for patients with solid tumors and rare hematologic cancers,” said Kim. “We will go beyond drug supply to lead innovation in collaboration with the Korean medical community.”
Koh added that key data from ongoing trials will be presented at this year’s ASCO and ESMO meetings as the company continues to position its ADC portfolio for long-term global impact.
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Lee Han-soo corea022@docdocdoc.co.kr
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