Daiichi Sankyo is promoting Ken Keller to lead a new globally integrated commercialization unit, putting the executive in charge of a key pillar of its push to become a top five oncology company by 2035.
In May, Daiichi put (PDF) building “robust stand-alone clinical development and commercial capabilities” at the center of its plans to become a leading cancer drugmaker. By centralizing global commercialization activities, the Japanese drugmaker aims to optimize resources, standardize processes, develop talent and deepen collaboration with other units. The goal is to act with greater speed and consistency.
At the time, Daiichi proposed establishing a new organization and appointing a chief commercialization officer to lead it without providing details of the leadership team or structure. The company revealed the details on Monday.
Keller has secured the chief commercialization officer job, landing the promotion on the back of five years as head of the global oncology business at Daiichi. Keller joined Daiichi in 2014 and was involved in the launches of Enhertu and Datroway, the company’s AstraZeneca-partnered antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Keller worked at Amgen for 20 years before joining Daiichi.
The chief commercial officer role sits atop a restructured organization focused on five regions, each with its own leader. Daiichi has installed Yuichi Yomasu in China; Markus Kosch, M.D., in Europe; Marcelo Goncalves in Latin America; and Kenji Shigeta in North America. Nobuo Murakami will lead the Japan, Asia and Pacific region. All the regional leaders already work at Daiichi.
Daiichi has also created or restructured global commercial functions to strengthen capabilities and best practices across its organization. Again, the company has promoted from within to install leaders at units focused on functions such as commercial excellence, marketing, access and pricing, and medical affairs.
Keller will lead the new globally integrated commercialization unit from April 1. The timing positions the drugmaker to leverage the new organization through a key period in which it aims to make five drugs available in 20 new indications by 2030.
Daiichi partnered with AstraZeneca and Merck & Co. to commercialize its first ADCs globally. Outside its home country, Daiichi jointly commercializes Enhertu and Datroway with AstraZeneca and will jointly commercialize patritumab deruxtecan, ifinatamab deruxtecan and raludotatug deruxtecan with Merck.
Under its plan to become a top oncology company, Daiichi wants to establish the capabilities to develop and commercialize products on its own. If successful, the plan could enable Daiichi to retain more of the value of future ADCs and other drug candidates.