Basking Ridge-based Daiichi Sankyo Company has announced the appointment of John Tsai, MD, as its new global head of research and development. Tsai will assume the role on April 1, succeeding Ken Takeshita, MD, who is stepping down from the position.
Tsai brings over 25 years of experience in leadership roles within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Before joining Daiichi Sankyo, he was an Executive Partner at Syncona Investment Management, a venture capital firm where he focused on launching biotech companies rooted in scientific innovation and oversaw projects related to oncology, cardiovascular, and kidney disease therapies.
His previous roles include President and Head of Global Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer at Novartis AG. During his tenure there, Tsai led the development of 160 new projects and managed 500 clinical trials that resulted in approvals for 15 new medicines globally. His work included advances in gene therapy and radioligand therapy. He also served as Chief Medical Officer at Amgen and Head of Late Phase Development at Bristol Myers Squibb.
Tsai holds a medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.
Hiroyuki Okuzawa, President and CEO of Daiichi Sankyo, said: “John Tsai will bring unique expertise to our continued pursuit of cutting-edge science and technology and will be a formidable addition to the Daiichi Sankyo leadership team as we execute our next five-year business plan and beyond. We thank Ken Takeshita for leading the global transformation of our R&D function, including the development of the company’s industry-leading antibody drug conjugate portfolio. We wish him the best for his professional future.”
John Tsai commented: “Joining Daiichi Sankyo at such a pivotal time is both an honor and exciting opportunity. Daiichi Sankyo has built a world-class scientific organization, and I look forward to building on this legacy to further drive innovation for patients.”
