Japan-based Astellas Pharma Inc. has officially opened its new Astellas Life Sciences Centre (ALSC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, which will accelerate the company's efforts to create an innovation network across the state, connecting leading incubators, ambitious biotechnology startups and academia to foster the discovery and development of potential breakthrough therapies in areas of significant medical need.

The new LEED-certified construction is home to the company's first US-based SakuLab, a shared laboratory space for highly innovative external partners. The new ALSC will also house the company's Engineered Small Molecules (ESM) unit which focuses on advancing research into targeted protein degradation, a novel treatment approach aimed at removing specific proteins from cells to unlock targets that have previously been considered 'undruggable.'

Approximately 400 Astellas employees will operate out of the new building, representing Medical & Development, Business Development and Research. By providing shared R&D resources, flexible workspaces, and dedicated areas for cross-functional and partner collaboration, the new facility enables Astellas teams to work together more cohesively and capitalise on the diverse expertise within the company and outside walls to trailblaze the next generation of healthcare solutions.

The SakuLab at Cambridge joins SakuLab-Tsukuba, the company's first incubator space located at Astellas' flagship research campus in Japan, and the TME iLAB in Kashiwa, which serves as an open innovation hub for tumour microenvironment research.