
SVP, Head of Business Development
Issei Tsukamoto, Ph.D. is senior vice president and global head of business development at Astellas, based out of Tokyo, Japan. He has responsibility for leading the company’s full range of dealmaking and alliance management activities, from venture investments, R&D collaborations and open innovation to late-stage licensing and M&As, building win-win partnerships with ambitious external organizations who share Astellas’ vision to deliver value for patients.
Before joining Astellas in 2021, Issei worked at Takeda Pharmaceuticals Ltd. heading Japan Business Development and led a wide range of BD transactions including portfolio transformation in Japan as the post-merger integration through the Shire acquisition.
He has comprehensive knowledge, experience and an extensive network in the pharmaceutical industry, holding 14 years’ experience in corporate strategy, BD and alliance management plus 11 years of experience in drug discovery.
Issei earned a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from Tohoku University, Japan.