Japan's Astellas Pharma, YASKAWA Electric To Form JV For Cell Therapy Manufacturing

(RTTNews) - Japan's Astellas Pharma Inc. (ALPMY, ALPMY) announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with YASKAWA Electric Corp. to establish a joint venture for the development of a cell therapy product manufacturing platform utilizing the dual-arm robot "Maholo."

YASKAWA's subsidiary, Robotic Biology Institute, has developed Maholo.

In addition, the JV will offer platform access to startups and academic institutions, fostering collaboration and innovation in the field of cell therapy.

The JV, with a proposed capital of 4.5 billion yen, will be owned 60 percent by Astellas and 40 percent by YASKAWA. The name of the JV is yet to be decided, and its establishment is expected in September 2025.

The closing and establishment of the JV are subject to certain closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals.

Based on the memorandum of agreement signed in May, 2024, Astellas and YASKAWA have been advancing discussions toward establishing a JV.

The Japanese pharmaceutical company said the planned joint venture will leverage its expertise in R&D and manufacturing for cell therapy and the dual arm robot Maholo.

With the JV, the companies aim to address challenges in the commercialization of cell therapy in the pharmaceutical industry, stemming from the complex nature of the manufacturing process, in particular, related to the accuracy and reproducibility of cell manufacturing.

Further, the need for a skilled workforce, along with the time and cost investments required for technology transfer to manufacturing facilities, presents additional hurdles.

In Tokyo, Astellas Pharma shares were trading at 1,481.00 yen, up 0.75 percent, while YASKAWA were trading at 4,121.00 yen, up 1.28 percent.