When George Nakayama was assigned to lead Daiichi Sankyo despite his atypical background, the firm was facing several crises, including a probe into the acquisition of Ranbaxy and a looming patent cliff. So, what made him decide to focus on ADCs while reshaping the entire company? 

From extricating Daiichi Sankyo from the Ranbaxy acquisition to enabling the rapid development of blockbuster Enhertu, George Nakayama has had a winding career path through multiple key strategic positions and decisions. He shares his experience and insights, and a good dose of humor, in this exclusive interview.

Starting off with MSD as an anchor partner, Aurobindo plans to eventually spar with the likes of WuXi and Lonza while building scale for its biologics CDMO business. Meanwhile, EMA approval for a greenfield project in China and an US FDA nod for Ryzneuta, licensed from Yifan’s Evive Biotech, signal a boost.

In an interview with Scrip, Astellas’s India chief outlines how the Japanese company expects to build out its operations in the country, with a flurry of key launches in the wings. She also shares vignettes of her own career path, which has not been a bed of roses.