Daiichi Sankyo Co, Ltd

Performance in the 2026 Index

19th place. Daiichi Sankyo is among the lowest-performing companies overall. Governance structures are in place but include few controls against non-compliant conduct. In research and development (R&D), access planning is limited. In Product Delivery, access strategies also remain limited, particularly for self-administered products. However, the company has expanded access to antibody drug conjugates in its portfolio through broader registration and strategic partnerships.

Opportunities for Daiichi Sankyo

Ensure all late-stage research and development projects are covered by comprehensive access plans. Daiichi Sankyo has access plans in place for only 1 of its 12 late-stage candidates, with the plan focusing exclusively on availability provisions in one emerging market. It can strengthen its approach to access planning by ensuring that all late-stage candidates are covered by comprehensive access plans, for example by publicly committing to register in countries where clinical trials are conducted or engaging in strategic partnerships to plan for access at scale ahead of approval. For example, it can develop access plans for ifinatamab deruxtecan, an investigational antibody-drug conjugate currently in Phase II and III trials for multiple tumour indications. 

 Expand access to antibody-drug conjugates. Daiichi Sankyo has expanded access to its antibody-drug conjugates trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu®) and datopotamab deruxtecan (Datroway®) through its strategic partnership with AstraZeneca, resulting in increased registrations for trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu®). Daiichi Sankyo can build on this progress for datopotamab deruxtecan (Datroway®) by expanding registration and access strategies through the partnership and in countries where Daiichi Sankyo has commercial responsibility. 

 Extend its approach to a systematic, company-wide methodology for measuring patient reach. Daiichi Sankyo currently reports on a patient reach approach for trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu®) but does not disclose evidence of a patient reach methodology across its broader portfolio. It could further strengthen reporting on patient reach progress by regularly publishing portfolio-wide patient reach numbers with disaggregation, including disaggregation by geographic region and/or country income level, and disclosing the outcomes of its product-specific access strategies. 

Changes since the 2024 Index

• In December 2025, received United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu®) with pertuzumab, developed in partnership with AstraZeneca, for unresectable, metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. 

• In June 2025, received U.S. FDA approval for datopotamab deruxtecan (Datroway®), developed in partnership with AstraZeneca, for the treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer previously treated with endocrine-based therapy and chemotherapy. 

• Entered into a collaborative research agreement with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) to conduct hit-to-lead research for the development of new antimalarial treatments. This project received funding from the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT). 

Sales and Operations

Therapeutic areas:  Oncology, cardiovascular, vaccines, other disease areas 

Product categories: Consumer health, generics, innovative medicines, vaccines 

M&A news: In 2025, Daiichi Sankyo acquired the rights to gatipotuzumab from Glycotope for USD 132.5mn. In 2026, the company divested all its shares in Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare to Suntory for JPY 246.5bn.

Sample of pipeline and portfolio assessed by the Index

PIPELINE for diseases in scope

Daiichi Sankyo has 32 R&D projects in scope, 5 of which target priority diseases. The remaining 27 R&D projects target other diseases in scope, focusing on cancer (26) and measles (1). Of its 32 R&D projects, 12 are in late-stage development, with evidence of access planning for 8% (1/12) of these.

PORTFOLIO as selected for analysis by the Index

Daiichi Sankyo has 17 products in scope, including 4 vaccines indicated for COVID-19, measles, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus, and 13 medicines. Of its medicines and vaccines, 5 are listed on the WHO EML. Its medicines target a variety of communicable and NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases (6), cancer (4) and lower respiratory infections (2). 

Performance Breakdown

Governance of Access

RANK 16th, SCORE: 2.97

16th place. Daiichi Sankyo is among the lowest-performing companies in Governance of Access. It has board-level oversight and access-linked incentives for the CEO. However, it implements few controls to mitigate non-compliance or corruption risk and shows only moderate commitment to responsible sales practices. Its patient reach measurement approach is not systematic and reporting is limited, although it has set a new patient reach target for its oncology portfolio.

Has board-level oversight of access to medicine via its Executive Management Committee, with access-related matters reported to the Board of Directors. This committee oversees access-related strategies and reviews related matters at least annually. Daiichi Sankyo includes access-to-healthcare metrics within ESG-linked senior executive incentive plans, including the CEO. Access-related incentives are not currently in place for regional or in-country managers. It provides limited awareness activities supporting access-to-medicine implementation, including a one-off workshop and ad hoc internal discussions. 

Shows a moderate commitment to responsible sales and promotional practices. Daiichi Sankyo’s incentive compensation plans vary by subsidiary. For example, in 1 country in scope, sales representatives are not incentivised solely by sales volume. Incentives are also based on behaviour assessments, such as academic interaction, training and compliance. Further, it has a global policy on ensuring ethical interactions with healthcare professionals. It declares that transfers of value to healthcare professionals (e.g., payments for speaking at events) are made at fair market value. It publicly discloses information on such payments in countries in scope if required by law or local regulation. 

Has few controls to promote ethical conduct and mitigate risk to ensure that governance efforts are not undermined by non-compliant or corrupt activities. Daiichi Sankyo performs poorly in this respect. It has policies to mitigate non-compliance risks, including processes to ensure third-party compliance with company standards. However, it does not disclose sufficient evidence publicly or to the Index of fraud-specific risk assessments and region or country risk-based assessments in countries in scope. It has a code of conduct guiding ethical employee decision making and provides related training regularly across its subsidiaries. No breaches in countries in scope were found during the analysis period. 

Publicly supports the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health. However, Daiichi Sankyo expresses reservations on some provisions of TRIPS flexibilities, namely compulsory licensing. It states that compulsory licensing should be carefully used in situations such as public health-related national emergencies. 

Performs moderately in its approach to measuring and reporting on patient reach. Daiichi Sankyo does not have a systematic, company-wide approach to measuring patient reach. However, it has a product-level approach for trastuzumab deruxtecan (ENHERTU®), with 2 of the 4 methodological components publicly disclosed. It has established a measurable, time-bound product-related patient reach goal as part of its 2035 ambition. As this goal is newly introduced, progress cannot yet be assessed. Patient reach reporting is limited and not disaggregated by geographic region or country-income level.

Research and Development

RANK 15th, SCORE 1.35 

15th place. Daiichi Sankyo is among the lower-performing companies in R&D. Its small priority disease pipeline has no late-stage projects, and its pipeline addressing other diseases has an access plan for only 1 of 12 late-stage projects, limited to one emerging market. It discloses disaggregated R&D investment data to global health organisations, but not publicly.  

Small-sized pipeline addressing priority diseases in scope, compared to peers, consisting of 5 projects, none at a late stage of development. 

Average-sized pipeline addressing other diseases in scope, compared to peers, consisting of 27 projects, with access plans identified for 8% (1/12) of its late-stage R&D projects. These projects target diseases not currently identified as priorities by global health stakeholders. Daiichi Sankyo’s only access plan is limited in depth and breadth, focusing only on registration preparation and post-trial access, with geographic scope covering exclusively an emerging market. 

Does not publicly disclose R&D investment data disaggregated by disease category, product type or phase of development. However, Daiichi Sankyo does disclose anonymised disaggregated R&D investment data to Impact Global Health. 

No evidence of R&D capacity-building initiatives that meet inclusion criteria.

Product Delivery

RANK 19th, SCORE 1.45

19th place. Daiichi Sankyo is among the lowest-performing companies in Product Delivery. It registers newer products in fewer countries than peers on average. Access strategies for self-administered products are limited to upper-middle-income countries (UMICs), with no outcome data reported. However, it has expanded access to antibody-drug conjugates through broader registration and strategic partnerships. Health system strengthening initiatives meet all Good Practice Standards (GPS). However, there is limited evidence of other capacity-building initiatives.

Registers newer products* in fewer countries (2) than its peers on average. Daiichi Sankyo’s products are also, on average, registered in fewer countries with the highest burden of disease (1) compared to peers. Only 1/8 of products assessed is registered in a low-income country (LIC). Trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu®), indicated for multiple cancer types, is its most widely registered product, totalling 45 countries in scope. It did not report participating in any mechanisms to facilitate registration. 

^{*Products that received their first marketing authorisation within the last 5 years} 

Not eligible for assessment of supranational access strategies because none of its products in scope are supranationally procured. 

Access strategy for its HCP-administered product, with broader access supported through global collaboration, but limited data on outcomes. For trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu®), indicated for multiple cancer types, Daiichi Sankyo provides evidence of a comprehensive access strategy in a UMIC where it is fully reimbursed in the public system, as well as ongoing efforts to develop a strategy in an LMIC. It reports no strategies in LICs, although global access is further supported through its co-development and co-commercialisation collaboration with AstraZeneca. No additional strategies or health system strengthening initiatives are reported. The company has a methodology to track patient reach, but did not report any numbers for its strategies. 

Limited access strategies for its self-administered products, with no data on outcomes. For 3 of the 4 products assessed, Daiichi Sankyo provides evidence of access strategies only in UMICs. The data reported for these strategies is limited, but the company shows some consideration of improving affordability for patients. It did not report any outcomes for its strategies.  

Publicly commits not to file for or enforce patents on any products in all LDCs and LICs, and a subset of LMICs and UMICs. However, the list of countries to which the commitment applies is not publicly available. 

Publicly discloses product patent status for countries in scope. Daiichi Sankyo publicly discloses patent information for small molecules in scope via the Pat-INFORMED database, including information such as filing date, grant number, grant date and jurisdiction. 

Does not engage in non-exclusive voluntary licensing for products in scope. 

1 manufacturing capacity-building initiative was included for analysis, but it does not meet all GPS. In this initiative, Daiichi Sankyo is supporting the Government Pharmaceutical Organization in Thailand to scale up its manufacturing capacity of influenza vaccine production. The company is providing technical training to support the scale-up process. 

No evidence of supply chain capacity-building initiatives that meet inclusion criteria. 

All 5 health system strengthening initiatives included for analysis meet all GPS. For example, Daiichi Sankyo partners with various local stakeholders in Jakarta, Indonesia, to improve access to breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment. The initiative also aims to improve youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services by building skills of health workers and peer educators. 

Newly engaged in an IP-sharing agreement with a drug discovery initiative to accelerate drug development. In this agreement, Daiichi Sankyo collaborates with MMV under a GHIT Fund–supported programme to advance malaria inhibitors targeting P. falciparum profilin. However, its other previously existing IP-sharing agreements have ended.  

Fulfils none of the 3 mechanisms to ensure continuous supply in LMICs but is involved in local manufacturing at its own sites in countries in scope. Daiichi Sankyo owns its own sites in China and Brazil, manufacturing products indicated for cardiovascular diseases and oncology. 

Has procedures in place at several of its subsidiaries for reporting substandard and falsified medicines in countries in scope. Daiichi Sankyo does not have a global reporting policy yet, but provides evidence of reporting cases to national or local regulatory authorities within 5 days based on the region. Depending on the subsidiary, it provides evidence of shortened timeframes for reporting cases that only require visual inspection for confirmation. 

No evidence of inclusive business models that meet all inclusion criteria.