, /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: , "Astellas") today announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding with YASKAWA Electric Corporation (YASKAWA) to begin discussions on the creation of an innovative cell therapy ecosystem through the integration of pharmaceutical and robotics technologies. This memorandum is legally non-binding and will lead to further specific discussions between the two companies in the future.
The complexity of product manufacturing is a significant challenge to commercializing cell therapy. Substantial investments are required to develop complex manufacturing processes, transfer technology among manufacturers, and establish large-scale manufacturing facilities for commercialization. This makes it difficult for startups and academia to commercialize cell therapy independently.
Since the end of 2017, Astellas has been advancing drug discovery and manufacturing technology research in cell therapy through the introduction of the humanoid robot "Maholo", developed by the Robotic Biology Institute, a subsidiary of YASKAWA. Under the terms of the memorandum, the companies will begin discussions to potentially develop a platform that may seamlessly link early-stage research to commercialization, utilizing the state-of-the-art Maholo robot to manufacture high-quality products and shorten the R&D period of cell therapy. Furthermore, the companies would consider the possibility of potentially offering the use of the platfo.
