Daiichi Sankyo invests approximately one billion euros in Germany

– The research-based pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo from Japan with European headquarters in Munich is expanding.
– In the future, the site in Pfaffenhofen will develop and produce therapies for the treatment of various cancers, including breast, lung, and stomach cancer, in addition to cardiovascular medications.
– The expansion of the plant has already begun and is scheduled to be completed by 2030 at the latest. During this time, at least 350 new jobs will be created.
– Federal Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Karl Lauterbach visits the plant and emphasizes the importance of the investment for Germany's economic location and patients worldwide.

With investments totaling approximately one billion euros, Daiichi Sankyo will expand its production and development site in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, north of Munich, into an international innovation center. By 2030, at least 350 new jobs will be created, including numerous positions for international top researchers, process engineers, and other specialized professionals in sterilization and biotechnology. In addition to increased production capacity in the cardiovascular field, new laboratories will be established, particularly for antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology. This will enable the development and production of innovative cancer therapies against breast, lung, and stomach cancers in Pfaffenhofen in the future.

"These investments are a clear commitment to our corporate goal of contributing to the improvement of quality of life worldwide. We are on the way to becoming one of the leading oncology companies globally. We build on our ongoing successes with cardiovascular medications. By expanding our oncology activities, we aim to make an even greater contribution to medical progress in the future. This will allow us to offer patients new treatment options," explains Masahiro Kato, Managing Director and Chairman of the Management Board of Daiichi Sankyo Europe.

Federal Minister Prof. Karl Lauterbach commented on his visit to the Pfaffenhofen site today: "Daiichi Sankyo's billion-euro investment is very good news for patients as well as for the pharmaceutical sector in Germany. The pharmaceutical strategy and the digitization of our healthcare system strengthen Germany as a location for research and production. The fact that innovative therapies are researched and developed here motivates us as the federal government to further accelerate the strategy of promoting pharmaceutical research and production. We are removing bureaucratic hurdles with the Medical Research Act and creating fast approval pathways. Additionally, we are enabling the use of health data for research projects."

Cutting-edge cancer therapies "Made in Germany"

For more than 60 years, the Pfaffenhofen production site has stood for the highest quality standards. The medications produced at the plant are shipped to more than 50 countries worldwide. Pharmaceutical development also takes place at the site today: colleagues develop suitable formulations and manufacturing processes based on active ingredients provided by our researchers from Japan, to enable industrial-scale production. Furthermore, Pfaffenhofen is one of the world's largest sites for Daiichi Sankyo for the manufacturing of clinical products. The development of new analytical methods is also of particular importance for ensuring quality. These are developed in the Analytical Department and later used in quality control to test finished medicinal products. A new building was occupied at the end of 2023 to accommodate both departments.

Matthias Kühn, Site Manager at Daiichi Sankyo Europe in Pfaffenhofen, on the decision to expand the site into an international innovation center: "The fact that we will increasingly focus on oncology therapies in Pfaffenhofen is positive in two ways, especially for patients: on the one hand, we can significantly contribute to the growing global demand for ADC cancer therapies. On the other hand, we demonstrate our future viability and the top quality we deliver here." The expansion of the plant involves close cooperation with the existing and growing network of local, regional, and supra-regional partner companies.

First-class antibody production

One element of the investment is the new building for Daiichi Sankyo's ADC, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. With this, Daiichi Sankyo will very likely rise to the "top tier of biotech companies" in the DACH region.

The investments strengthen not only production and research but also quality assurance and logistics. Renewable energies will play an increasingly important role: today, the plant already relies on wind, water, biomass, and solar energy, which it produces either with its own facilities or in cooperation with local partners. With this, Daiichi Sankyo is taking a significant step closer to its vision of contributing to the sustainable development of society.