To offset the impending 2027 patent loss for its blockbuster drug Xtandi, Astellas is not relying on a single successor. The company is betting on five distinct strategic brands across bladder cancer, AML, geographic atrophy, and women's health to collectively replace the revenue and mitigate the impact.
Astellas' R&D isn't defined by therapeutic area or technology. Instead, their "focus area approach" creates a "triangle" of core biology, the best modality, and the right patient population. This model is designed to generate multiple follow-on programs, like their KRAS degraders, by pivoting any corner of this triangle.
Astellas isn't resting on its first-to-market Claudin 18.2 antibody. It's proactively developing next-generation therapies—a CD3 bispecific to reach more patients and an in-licensed ADC for a potential chemo-free regimen. This multi-asset strategy aims to create an enduring leadership position in this specific cancer target.