Access to Medicine Index 2022 ▶ Company report cards

RA N KSCO R E172.20

16 (2021)*

Daiichi Sankyo Co, Ltd
Stock exchange: TSE • Ticker: 4568 • HQ: Tokyo, Japan • Employees: 16,033

PERFORMANCE IN THE 2022 INDEX
17th place. Daiichi Sankyo is in the lower ranks across all
Technical Areas. It has a weak performance in responsible
promotional practices and implementation of compliance
controls. Furthermore, the company lacks access strategies

How score was achieved
3.43

Governance of Access
1.63

Research & Development

2.17

Product Delivery

for the majority of its products assessed. However, it

01performs well in health systems strengthening.

23Average

Leader45

Governance of Access: 15th place. Daiichi Sankyo performs below average in this area. It has an integrated

access plans in place for most late-stage candidates. However,access-to-medicine strategy, but it provides very little infor-

it does not engage in R&D capacity building.

mation related to responsible promotional practices and lacks
some compliance controls, namely a continuous system toProduct Delivery: 17th place. Daiichi Sankyo performs poorly

monitor activities, fraud-specific risk assessment and a coun-in this area. The company has a strong commitment not to

try risk-based assessment to mitigate the risk of non-compli-enforce or file patents in the majority of the countries inance in countries in scope of the Index.

scope (including low- and lower-middle income countries).
It applies a few access strategies, yet only in upper-middle

Research & Development: 18th place. Daiichi Sankyo per-income countries. It has shown evidence of technology trans-forms poorly in this area. It has a general access planning pro-fer initiatives and high-quality health systems strengthen-cess in place and applies this to a subset of pipeline projects.

ing initiatives yet does not engage in supply chain capacity

The company has an average-sized priority pipeline and hasbuilding.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR DAIICHI SANKYOCHANGES SINCE THE 2021 INDEX

Ensure that governance structures do not vary across subsidiaries. Daiichi Sankyo’s• Appointed a Head of Access to Healthcare who iscurrent governance structures related to responsible promotional practices andsubstandard and falsified medicines vary by subsidiary. It can ensure that such

responsible for improving access to healthcare andaddressing and resolving issues related to access.

governance structures apply across all subsidiaries. This includes its approach todecoupling of sales targets from sales volume, policies that address responsible• Incorporated improving access to healthcare as a materiality
in its current mid-term plan.

interactions with and appropriate payments to healthcare professionals and policies that• Established an Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious

address the timely reporting of confirmed cases of substandard and falsified medicines

Diseases Research Special Team (EReDS) to address

to health authorities.

emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
• Participated in the AMR Action Fund, which was established

Develop a structured access planning framework and ensure all late-stage R&D

to support the clinical development of new antimicrobial

projects have comprehensive access plans. Daiichi Sankyo can continue to improveagents and to achieve a sustainable antimicrobial market,

access planning by developing a structured access planning framework. The company
has access plans in place for 75% of late-stage R&D projects. It can apply access plans toall projects in the pipeline from Phase II onwards.

with a total contribution of USD 20 million.
• Implemented a general access planning framework for asubset of its R&D pipeline.
• Launched two new initiatives in Nepal and Zimbabwe toImprove access to patented cardiovascular products on the WHO Model List ofEssential Medicines (EML). Daiichi Sankyo has two patented products on the WHO

address breast and cervical cancer care and awareness.
• Signed a joint research agreement and will share itsEML, edoxaban (Lixiana®), indicated for ischaemic heart disease and stroke, andcompound libraries with the non-profit public-private

amlodipine/olmesartan medoxomil (Azor®/Sevikar®), for hypertensive heart disease.

partnership Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) to screen

The company has an equitable access strategy for edoxaban that covers UMICs. Daiichi
Sankyo can further expand access to both this product and to amlodipine/olmesartan

compounds against new Plasmodium biological targets.
• Signed a joint research agreement with the non-medoxomil via registration, equitable pricing and/or non-exclusive voluntary licensing in

profit public-private partnership Drugs for Neglected

lower-income countries and high burden countries such as the Republic of Moldova.

Diseases initiative (DNDi) to screen compounds against
Trypanosoma cruzi. Daiichi Sankyo provided a library of35,000 compounds.

25

All companies were assessed based on
information that was valid in the latest
period of analysis (ending at 31 May2022). This data was either submitted bycompanies, found in the public domain orwas accessible through other sources.

The term LMICs is used to denote all
low- and middle-income countries inscope of the Index, except when analysing
companies’ access strategies wherethe use of LMIC refers to lower-middle
income countries as per the World Bank

income groups classification. Likewise, theterms LIC and UMIC refer to low income
countries and upper-middle incomecountries.
*In the 2021 Index, dense ranking wasused. In the 2022 Index, standard

competitive ranking is used. Therefore, adirect comparison with Daiichi Sankyo's
previous rank is not possible.

Access to Medicine Index 2022 ▶ Company report cards

SALES AND OPERATIONSBusiness segments: Healthcare (OTC) products,

Daiichi Sankyo's products are sold in 35 out

prescription drugs and other.

of 108 countries in scope of the Index. Daiichi

Revenue by segment (2021) – in JPY

Therapeutic areas: Cell therapy, central nervous

Sankyo has sales offices in four countries, andPrescription drugs

977.98 bn

system diseases, oncology, rare diseases,

sells via suppliers and/or pooled procurement in

Healthcare (OTC) products

64.70 bn

vaccines and other disease areas.

an additional 31 countries.

Other2.20 bn

Product categories: Consumer health products,		

generic drugs, innovative medicines andTotal

1,044.89 bnvaccines.
M&A news: None since May 2020.

Sales by geographic region
1,200

Revenue (Bn JPY)

Sales in countries in scope

1,0008006004002000

In scope, has sales offices
In scope, any sales

2017

2018

Rest of WorldIn scope, no sales

2019
Europe2020

2021

JapanNorth America

Not in scope

SAMPLE OF PIPELINE AND PORTFOLIO ASSESSED BY THE INDEXPIPELINE for diseases in scope

PORTFOLIO as selected for analysis by the Index

Daiichi Sankyo has a total of 35 R&D projects in scope with 16 of these pro-Daiichi Sankyo has 12 medicines in scope, nine of which are on patent. 33%

jects targeting priority diseases. The other 19 R&D projects target otherof these medicines (4) are on the WHO EML. In addition, the company mar-diseases in scope. Of the projects targeting priority diseases, the focus iskets three diagnostics and two vaccines. The off-patent medicines target

on lower respiratory infections (three projects), Chagas disease (2), malaria

mainly non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertensive heart(2) and tuberculosis (2). Of the projects targeting other diseases, the focus

disease (1) and ischaemic heart disease (1), and a communicable disease,is on oncology (15).

lower respiratory infections (1). The on-patent medicines mainly target

Four R&D projects are in late-stage development that target either a pri-NCDs, such as hypertensive heart disease (3), ischaemic heart disease (2)ority disease (1) or address a public health need in LMICs (3).* Evidence ofand cancer (2). Daiichi Sankyo’s preventative vaccines target tetanus andaccess planning was in place for 75% of these projects: one targeting a pri-pertussis. The diagnostics in scope are for tuberculosis (3).

ority disease and two addressing a public health need in LMICs.
35 projects in the pipeline

17 products as selected for analysis by the Index†

12Communicable**

Neglected tropical 0Maternal and neonatal 0

Maternal and neonatal 020

Non-communicableMultiple categories 0020304050
projects in the pipeline

1020304050
products on the market

300

10116

Contraceptives

Addresses needs of LMICs*

321006Diagnostics

Other projects in scope

4531013Other*50 diseases and 243 product gaps inscope have been established as a priority by global health stakeholders. For
other diseases, the Index used a set of criteria to determine which projects in thepipeline offer a clear public health benefit to patients in LMICs. Only projects inthe clinical phase of development wereincluded for this analysis.
**Neglected tropical diseases, while also
communicable, are highlighted separatelythroughout the Index.
***Other includes projects that have atechnical lifecycle and projects that fol-‡Total

11Targets established R&D priorities

Other0Vaccines

WHO EDL0Total

2

Other***

0Registration/approval

32

Phase III1Phase II72

Phase I2

off patent

Pre-clinical

Medicines on patent

Discovery

Non-EML

Breakdown of products
WHO EML

10

Breakdown of projects

2610

Non-communicableMultiple categories 007

Communicable**3

Neglected tropical90
330

low a different development cycle (e.g.
diagnostics).
†Products included in the analysis wereselected using a set of criteria determinedby stakeholder consensus.
‡Other includes vector control products.

0Access to Medicine Index 2022 ▶ Company report cards

Daiichi Sankyo Co, LtdGOVERNANCE OF ACCESSRANK 15SCORE 3.43

Has an access-to-medicine strategy with meas-performs average in transparency of accessgovernance efforts are not undermined byurable objectives, integrated within its overall

activities. It publicly discloses its commitments,

non-compliant or corrupt activities. Daiichi

corporate strategy. Daiichi Sankyo performs

objectives and targets related to improving

Sankyo performs below average, demonstrat-well. Its strategy is focused on expanding medicalaccess to medicine in countries in scope of theing evidence of some components looked for byaccess to oncology products, with a key theme ofIndex, namely with its capacity building initiatives.

the Index: audits and formal processes to ensure

the strategy being "how to deliver oncology prod-

It shares the outputs of a subset of its capacity

third-party compliance with company standards.

ucts around the world". The strategy covers somebuilding initiatives, although it does so in a cen-There is no evidence, publicly found or disclosedof the therapeutic areas the company is involved

tralised manner directly on its website.

to the Index, of a continuous system to moni-in, but mainly focuses on oncology products.

tor activities, fraud-specific risk assessment or

The highest responsibility for access is indirectly

Performs below average in responsible pro-country risk-based assessment. No breaches inwith the board, with its Global Management

motional practices. Daiichi Sankyo’s policies

countries in scope of the Index were publiclyCommittee.

governing promotional practices vary by subsid-

found in the period of analysis.

iary. It does not publicly disclose whether sales
Provides evidence of financial and non-finan-agents are solely incentivised on sales volume

Publicly supports the Doha Declaration on

cial access-related incentives at the executive

targets and not other targets, nor the level at

TRIPS and Public Health. Daiichi Sankyo pub-level. Daiichi Sankyo performs well. It incentivises

which sales incentives are set. It does not disclose

licly shares a general statement on the Doha

its senior executives and in-country managers towhether it shares information related to transfersDeclaration on TRIPS and Public Health, but

perform on access to medicine with financial andof values to healthcare professionals in countries

expresses reservations on its provisions, stating

non-financial rewards, as part of its CSR goals.

in scope of the Index (e.g. payments for attendingthat the use of compulsory licensing should be

The CEO also has access-related incentives.

events or promotional activities), nor does it dis-carefully exercised. As a member of the industry

close a policy limiting such transfers.

association, Daiichi Sankyo, like all other mem-Publicly discloses outcomes of a subset of its
access-to-medicine activities. Daiichi Sankyo
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

ber companies in scope of the Index, is by default
Has some compliance controls to ensure thatRANK 18

connected to this activity.

SCORE 1.63

Access planning processes encompass someSome projects address a public health need in

uct type or phase of development. However,projects in the pipeline. Daiichi Sankyo hasLMICs,* with 67% (2/3) of late-stage candidates

Daiichi Sankyo does disclose fully disaggregateda general process in place to develop accesscovered by access plans. In this analysis, Daiichi

R&D investment data to Policy Cures Research.

plans during R&D. The process is intended to be

Sankyo has three late-stage R&D projects in its

applied to a subset of R&D projects for diseases

pipeline that target a disease and/or product gap

No R&D capacity building initiatives includedin scope of the Index.

not yet established as a priority by global healthfor evaluation. There is no evidence — in thestakeholders. These projects are all deemed bypublic domain or disclosed to the Index — ofAn average-sized priority R&D pipeline com-

the Index to offer a clear public health benefit for

R&D capacity building initiatives active during thepared to peers, with an access plan in place

people living in LMICs.* Primarily, these projects

period of analysis that met inclusion criteria forfor its late-stage candidate. Daiichi Sankyo has

are first-in-class molecules. Most target cancer.

evaluation. Daiichi Sankyo's performance is below

16 projects, including one late-stage candidate,Daiichi Sankyo provides evidence of access plansaverage in this area.

in its pipeline that target a priority product gap.

for two of these projects.

These projects target several diseases. Daiichi
Sankyo's late-stage candidate is supported by an

Does not publicly disclose R&D investment

access plan.

data disaggregated by disease category, prod-PRODUCT DELIVERYRANK 17SCORE 2.17

Public commitment not to enforce patents incules in scope via the Pat-INFORMED database.

company does have existing agreements of thiscountries in scope. Daiichi Sankyo publicly com-It discloses patent information such as filing date,nature in place that were established before themits to neither file for nor enforce patents. This

grant number, grant date and jurisdiction.

current period of analysis and meet all inclusioncommitment applies in sub-Saharan African coun-27

criteria for evaluation.

tries (with the exception of South Africa), Least

Performs above average in terms of sharing

Developed Countries and LICs, and in a subset ofintellectual property (IP) assets with third-

No use of licensing agreements. Daiichi Sankyo

LMICs and UMICs.

party researchers. Daiichi Sankyo engaged indoes not engage in voluntary licensing for prod-

three new IP-sharing agreements with third-party

ucts in scope of the Index.

Publicly discloses information on patent sta-

research institutions or drug discovery initiatives

tus. Like most of its peers, Daiichi Sankyo publicly

established during the current analysis period

discloses the patent statuses for small mole-that meet all inclusion criteria for evaluation. The*50 diseases and 243 product gaps inscope have been established as a priority
by global health stakeholders. For otherdiseases, the Index used a set of criteria
to determine which projects in the pipeline offer a clear public health benefit topatients in LMICs. Projects in the clinicalphase of development were included forthis analysis.

Access to Medicine Index 2022 ▶ Company report cards

Filed to register one new product in one coun-all inclusion criteria is lower than average andHowever, the company does have a system in

try in scope. Daiichi Sankyo did not disclose

fewer initiatives meet all Good Practice Standards

place to work with relevant stakeholders to com-

evidence of filing for registration any of its new(GPS) than what is average for this indicator. In

municate issues that may affect the supply chain,products in any of the top ten high burden coun-

the initiative that meets all GPS, which was active

works with several active pharmaceutical ingredi-

tries. Its most widely filed product, edoxaban

from 2002 until 2020, the company worked toent suppliers, manages a buffer stock of relevant(Lixiana®) indicated for stroke prevention amongstrengthen Vietnam's capacity to produce vac-

products and transfers technology to local manu-

other uses as an anticoagulant, has been filedcines through the POLYVAC project.

facturers in LMICs.

of the Index, including three high burden dis-No supply chain capacity building initiatives

Has procedures in place for reporting substand-ease countries (China, Indonesia and Vietnam).

included for analysis. There is no evidence — inard and falsified (SF) medicines for several

None of its eligible products are filed for registra-

the public domain or disclosed to the Index — ofcountries in scope of the Index in less than tention in LICs.

supply chain capacity building initiatives activedays. Daiichi Sankyo provides evidence of report-

during the period of analysis that met inclusioning SF medicines to relevant national healthDaiichi Sankyo is not eligible for assessment ofcriteria for evaluation. Daiichi Sankyo's perfor-authorities within five days depending on thesupranationally procured products.

mance is below average in this area.

region. The company reports aiming at reportingHas an access strategy for a country in scope ofAll three health systems strengthening ini-risk. Depending on the subsidiary, it provides evi-the analysis for its healthcare-practitioner-ad-tiatives included for analysis meet all Gooddence of shortened time frames for reporting

ministered products. Daiichi Sankyo performs

Practice Standards. Daiichi Sankyo's performancecases which only require visual inspection to be

below average in this area. The company provides

is average in this area. The number of initiatives

confirmed.

data on access strategies for the cancer drug tras-

meeting all inclusion criteria is lower than averagetuzumab deruxtecan (ENHERTU®) applied in two

but an average number of initiatives meet all GPS

Donates in response to expressed need andUMICs. Evidence of patient reach is not available.

for this indicator. For example, through the compa-monitors delivery. Daiichi Sankyo has public pol-ny's new initiative in Nepal, Daiichi Sankyo expands

icies and supply processes in place to ensure adHas few access strategies for its self-admin-

screening services and improves resident knowl-

hoc donations are carried out rapidly in response

istered products for some countries in scopeedge about breast and cervical cancers throughto expressed need, and it shows some evidence

for this analysis. Daiichi Sankyo performs below

screening camps and public awareness activities.

of monitoring the delivery of donations.

average in this area. The company provides exam-This initiative meets all GPS.

for registration in 12 countries within the scope

within three days if the case presents a serious

Has no long-term donation programmes forples of access strategies in UMICs for four of thefive products assessed, including efforts to reachHas no inclusive business models that meetneglected tropical diseases (NTDs) or malaria

additional patients using pricing strategies that

all inclusion criteria. There is no evidence thatthat are eligible for analysis under this indi-consider relevant payers’ ability to pay. For exam-Daiichi Sankyo has engaged in the piloting orcator. Daiichi Sankyo is not engaged in anyple, the company secured national reimbursement

scale-up of any inclusive business models thatstructured donation programmes for NTDs orof one product and provides evidence of meeting

aim to meet the access needs of populations

malaria where elimination, eradication or control

national payer price expectations. Patient reach isat the base of the income pyramid (includinggoals are possible and that are eligible for analysis

provided for two access strategies in UMIC coun-other underserved populations) in LMICs. Daiichi

under this indicator.

tries, but the company does not provide examples

Sankyo performs below average in this area.

in LMICs or LICs for any of the products.
Performs above average in terms of ensur-28

One of the two manufacturing capacity build-ing continuous supply of medicines in LMICs.

ing initiatives included meets all Good PracticeDaiichi Sankyo does not show evidence of its

Standards. Daiichi Sankyo's performance is aver-involvement in supply chain capacity building ini-age in this area. The number of initiatives meeting

tiatives meeting inclusion criteria for evaluation.