Former Novartis CMO John Tsai Appointed Global Head of R&D at Daiichi Sankyo
Key Insights
Daiichi Sankyo has appointed John Tsai (search), MD as its new Global Head of R&D, effective April 1, 2026, replacing Ken Takeshita (search) who is stepping down after five years.
Tsai brings over 25 years of leadership experience, having previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Novartis where he led development of 160 new projects and 500 clinical trials resulting in 15 new medicine approvals.
The appointment comes as Daiichi Sankyo prepares to execute its next five-year business plan, building on its industry-leading antibody-drug conjugate portfolio including blockbuster drug Enhertu.
Daiichi Sankyo has appointed John Tsai (search), MD as its new Global Head of R&D, effective April 1, 2026, marking a significant leadership transition as the Japanese pharmaceutical company prepares to execute its next five-year business plan. Tsai will succeed Ken Takeshita (search), MD, who is stepping down after five years of leading the company's global R&D transformation.
Proven Track Record in Drug Development
Tsai brings more than 25 years of proven leadership experience in pharmaceutical innovation to Daiichi Sankyo. During his tenure as President and Head of Global Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer at Novartis AG, he led the development of 160 new projects and 500 clinical trials, resulting in global approvals for 15 new medicines. His achievements at Novartis include breakthrough products such as spinal muscular atrophy (search) gene therapy Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec) and radioligand therapy Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) for prostate cancer (search).
"John Tsai (search) will bring unique expertise to our continued pursuit of cutting-edge science and technology and will be a formidable addition to the Daiichi Sankyo leadership team as we execute our next five-year business plan and beyond," said Hiroyuki Okuzawa, President and CEO of Daiichi Sankyo.
Recent Leadership Roles
Since leaving Novartis three years ago as part of a sweeping reorganization that merged the company's pharma and oncology businesses, Tsai has served as chief executive of UK biotech Forcefield Therapeutics (search) and as an Executive Partner at venture capital firm Syncona (search) Investment Management. At Syncona, he was responsible for starting new biotech companies based on scientific innovation and driving execution across several biotech companies focused on oncology, cardiovascular and kidney disease therapeutic areas. He also held board roles at Purespring Therapeutics and Blueprint Medicines.
Building on ADC Leadership
Tsai's appointment comes at a pivotal time for Daiichi Sankyo, which has established itself as a leader in the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) space. The company's ADC portfolio includes AstraZeneca-partnered Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) and Datroway (dapotamab deruxtecan), along with numerous clinical-stage candidates, including three ADCs partnered with MSD in a $22 billion pact signed in 2023.
Enhertu has been the key driver of Daiichi Sankyo's strong revenue growth over the last five years, achieving sales of nearly $5 billion last year. GlobalData predicts the drug could reach more than $14 billion by 2031.
Acknowledging Takeshita's Contributions
Daiichi Sankyo thanked Takeshita for his service, noting that he led the transformation of the company's R&D organization "into a globally integrated engine of innovation" and helped solidify the company's position in the oncology sector. The company credited Takeshita with accelerating and expanding the Japanese group's antibody-drug conjugate portfolio.
"We thank Ken Takeshita (search) for leading the global transformation of our R&D function, including the development of the company's industry-leading antibody drug conjugate portfolio," said Okuzawa.
Tsai expressed enthusiasm about his new role, stating: "Joining Daiichi Sankyo at such a pivotal time is both an honor and exciting opportunity. Daiichi Sankyo has built a world-class scientific organization, and I look forward to building on this legacy to further drive innovation for patients."