Singapore, March 6 -- Japan-headquartered Astellas Pharma Inc. and Yaskawa Electric Corporation have signed a definitive agreement to establish a joint venture for the development of a cell therapy product manufacturing platform utilising the dual-arm robot 'Maholo'. In addition, the joint venture will offer platform access to startups and academic institutions, fostering collaboration and innovation in the field of cell therapy.

In the pharmaceutical industry, the commercialisation of cell therapy faces many challenges stemming from the complex nature of the manufacturing process, in particular, related to the accuracy and reproducibility of cell manufacturing. Furthermore, the need for a skilled workforce, coupled with the time and cos...