Astellas’ Mike Luther sees 2023 as a year of growing assets and creating partnerships. The global head of search and evaluation business development told In Vivo about the company's focus on gene and cell therapy and what he thinks makes for a successful business deal.

Deal-making between big pharma and biotech looks set to rise with a looming patent cliff increasing the need for the former to replenish its pipelines. Meanwhile, biotechs need partners to help them advance amid the ongoing big freeze on raising cash on public markets.

Plus deals involving Takeda/Zedira/Dr. Falk, Lupin/Sunovion, Eucure/Syncromune, Hetero/Johnson & Johnson, Nitto Denko/Omega, Harbour BioMed/CSPC and Pregene/Bone Therapeutics.

The main Japanese pharma players report a generally strong fiscal Q1, helped by mainstays including Daiichi Sankyo's Enhertu, Astellas's Xtandi and Padcev and Chugai's Actemra, and in some cases by the weaker yen.