Explore Our History

Established in 2005 through the merger of Daiichi Pharmaceutical and Sankyo, Daiichi Sankyo has a rich history spanning more than 100 years.

2005

  • September 2005

    Established by joint holding company of Sankyo Co., Ltd. and Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

  • November 2006

    Began operations of Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare Co., Ltd.; Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.; and Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH

  • May 2006

    Launched Urief®, a drug for dysuria (Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)

  • April 2007

    Began operations on April 1, 2007 as Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

  • May & November2008

    Acquired U3 Pharma GmbH of Germany and Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. of India

  • February & July 2009

    Launched Prasugrel, an antiplatelet agent and global product, in Februrary in Germany (as Efient®) and the United States in July (as Effient®)

2010

  • April 2010

    Launched Rezaltas®, a high-affinity ARB/long-acting calcium antagonist compound

  • April 2010

    Began operations of Daiichi Sankyo Espha Co., Ltd.

  • Oct 2010

    Launched Inavir®, an anti-influenza virus agent

  • March 2011

    Acquired Plexxikon Inc. of the United States

  • March 2011

    Began operations of Kitasato Daiichi Sankyo Vaccine Co., Ltd.

  • March 2011

    Launched Memary® for treatment of Alzheimer's disease

  • July 2011

    Launched Lixiana®, an oral FXa inhibitor

  • September 2011

    Launched Nexium®, a proton pump inhibitor

  • November 2011

    Established new subsidiary in China

  • November 2011

    Consolidated Japan and Japan Group company head offices into three office buildings in Nihonbashi area of Tokyo, Japan

  • November 2011

    Established wholly-owned subsidiary Daiichi Sankyo (China) Holdings Co., Ltd.

  • January 2012

    Opened Daiichi Sankyo Kusuri Museum in Tokyo

  • April 2012

    Launched RANMARK®, an antibody that targets RANK ligand

  • July 2012

    Began operations of Japan Vaccine Co., Ltd., a joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline K.K.

  • August 2012

    Launched TENELIA®, a therapeutic agent for type 2 diabetes

  • November 2013

    Launched natural tetrahydrobiopterin agent Biopten® Granules 10%

  • May 2014

    Launched oral antiplatelet agent Efient in Japan

  • September 2014

    Launched CANAGLU® Tablets 100mg for treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

  • September 2014

    Received approval in Japan for additional AF and VTE indications for LIXIANA® (edoxaban)

  • November 2014

    Acquired biopharmaceutical company Ambit Biosciences

2015

  • January & June 2015

    Launched edoxaban, an oral, once-daily anti-coagulant global product, in January in the United States (as SAVAYSA®) and in June in Europe (as LIXIANA®)

  • March 2015

    Launched Methylene Blue Injection 50mg, a treatment for methemoglobinemia

  • March 2015

    Launched MOVANTIK®, a treatment for opioid-induced constipation (OIC), in the United States via co-commercialization agreement with AstraZeneca

  • April 2015

    Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited acquired by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. via all-stock transition

  • October 2015

    Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare acquired mail-order cosmetics and health food business, Im Co., Ltd.

  • November 2015

    Launched Squarekids® subcutaneous injection syringe, a tetravalent combination vaccine for the prevention of diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and poliomyelitis (polio)

  • August 2016

    Launched antiepileptic agent Vimpat®

  • September 2017

    Launched CANALIA® for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japan

  • April 2019

    Launched Tarlige® for treatment of pain in Japan.

  • May 2019

    Launched MINNEBRO® for treatment of hypertension in Japan

  • August 2019

    Launched TURALIO™ for treatment of select patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumor

  • October 2019

    Launched FLT3 Inhibitor VANFLYTA® in Japan

2020

  • 2020

    Launched ENHERTU® for patients with HER2 positive unresectable or metastatic breast cancer in the US and Japan. Refer to the Products page for information subsequently approved indications

  • November 2021

    New subsidiaries established in Australia, Canada, and Singapore

  • December 2022

    Launched EZHARMIA® in Japan as First Dual EZH1 and EZH2 Inhibitor Therapy for Patients with Adult T-Cell Leukemia-Lymphoma

  • May 2024

    Established research institutes in the Boston, USA, and Munich, Germany

  • August 2024

    Established new subsidiaries in Mexico and Colombia

  • January 2025

    Established “smart” research laboratory in San Diego, USA

  • March 2025

    Launched DATROWAY® in Japan as the First TROP2 Directed Therapy for Patients with Previously Treated Unresectable or Recurrent HR Positive, HER2 Negative Breast Cancer

  • April 2025

    Appointed Hiroyuki Okuzawa as new Chief Executive Officer

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