Yaskawa partners with Astellas Pharma to build ‘innovative’ cell therapy platform combining robotics and pharmaceutical technologies Robotics and automation news

(MENAFN – Robotics & Automation News) Yaskawa partners with Astellas Pharma to build ‘innovative’ cell therapy platform combining robotics, pharmaceuticals

Yaskawa Electric, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial robots, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Japanese company Astellas Pharma to begin talks on creating what it describes as an “innovative cell therapy platform through the combination of robotics and pharmaceutical technologies.”

The MOU is a legally non-binding partnership agreement between the two companies and detailed discussions will continue from there.

Under this agreement, the two companies intend to jointly build a new cell therapy platform that has the potential to seamlessly connect early-stage cell therapy research through commercialization, enabling high-quality production of cell therapy products while also shortening the research and development cycle.

The platform considered by the two companies could then be made available to startups and academic institutions. This could help reduce the investment in research drug production under Japan’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Products Act, and the two companies would also consider building beneficial services that can help discover and develop innovations.

The process of developing cell therapy products for new drug approval is highly craftsmanship-based, and low manufacturing stability and reproducibility is one of the major challenges faced by independent start-ups and academic institutions commercializing cell therapy.

Many challenges also remain, such as the difficulty of transferring technologies from basic research to production or commercial production in accordance with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), as well as the need to make large and expensive production-related investments.

In this context, Astellas Pharma has installed “Maholo”, a dual-arm robot designed and launched for biological applications in late 2017, and is also engaged in drug discovery and the development of production technologies for cell therapy.

Under this partnership, the company will leverage “Maholo” to deliver innovative cell manufacturing technologies, clinical development, and regulatory knowledge related to cell therapy to build its platform.

Meanwhile, Yaskawa is developing and promoting clean-environment robots in the healthcare, food and agriculture sectors, and expanding its business in mechatronic applications is one of the key strategies in its new medium-term business plan, “Realize 25.”

It is strengthening its initiatives to leverage the expertise it has developed in cell therapy. With this partnership, the company anticipates the practical application of i3-Mechatronics, a solution concept that combines digital data with factory automation, and increases the value of Yaskawa Group in the medical field, where cell therapy is a key area.

Partnerships that leverage each other’s strengths have the potential to accelerate commercialization, supply stability and revenue generation for new medicines, as well as to improve the development environment.

Ultimately, Yaskawa has contributed to the creation of a sustainable society in the field of cell therapy through its collaboration with Astellas Pharma.

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