04 — Team

Operators who have written the term sheets and run the trials.

Five partners between the firm and Taiho Pharmaceutical, with backgrounds spanning Astellas, Yasuda Enterprise, in-house oncology pipelines, and non-clinical development.

Team · Partners

Operators who have written the term sheets and run the trials.

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Editorial portrait — Sakae Asanuma, CFA, MBA, President & CEO.
Sakae Asanuma, CFA, MBA
President & CEO
Founded Taiho Ventures in 2016; sixty-plus biotech investments across Astellas Venture and Yasuda Enterprise.
Astellas Venture Management · Yasuda Enterprise
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Editorial portrait — Seiji Miyahara, PhD, Partner & Senior Investment Director.
Seiji Miyahara, PhD
Partner & Senior Investment Director
Twelve years inside Taiho Pharmaceutical's oncology pipeline before joining at founding in 2016.
Taiho Pharmaceutical · Oncology · Hokkaido University
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Editorial portrait — Takaaki Ishii, Senior Investment Director.
Takaaki Ishii
Senior Investment Director
In-licensed AB928 from Arcus Biosciences at Taiho Pharma; oncology MSL for ABRAXANE and KEYTRUDA in Japan.
Taiho Pharmaceutical · Oncology · Arcus Biosciences (in-licensing)
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Editorial portrait — Hidefumi Kasuga, PhD, Investment Director.
Hidefumi Kasuga, PhD
Investment Director
Nine years at Taiho Pharmaceutical advancing EGFR-targeting oncology compounds before joining in 2022.
Taiho Pharmaceutical · EGFR Discovery · University of Tokyo
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Editorial portrait — Takayuki Hirano, PhD, Associate Investment Director.
Takayuki Hirano, PhD
Associate Investment Director
Fifteen-plus years in non-clinical drug development; lead toxicology on global oncology IND submissions.
Taiho Pharmaceutical · Non-clinical Development · Tokushima University

Partner bios

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Editorial portrait — Sakae Asanuma, CFA, MBA, President & CEO.

Plate · 01 of 05

Sakae Asanuma, CFA, MBA

President & CEO

Sakae founded the venture practice in 2016 after running Astellas Venture Management as President and CEO and the firm's US Innovation arm from 2011 to 2015. He has invested in more than sixty biotech companies across his career at Astellas and Yasuda Enterprise, a Japan/US venture firm where he spent eleven years; the majority of those positions exited via IPO or M&A. Build-to-buy and academic spin-out structures sit at the center of his playbook.

Astellas Venture Management · Yasuda Enterprise

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Editorial portrait — Seiji Miyahara, PhD, Partner & Senior Investment Director.

Plate · 02 of 05

Seiji Miyahara, PhD

Partner & Senior Investment Director

Seiji joined Taiho Ventures at founding in 2016 after twelve years inside Taiho Pharmaceutical's oncology pipeline, where he advanced multiple programs to clinical stage. He sits as director or observer on the boards of multiple portfolio companies, with diligence range across modalities. PhD in life science, Hokkaido University.

Taiho Pharmaceutical · Oncology · Hokkaido University

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Editorial portrait — Takaaki Ishii, Senior Investment Director.

Plate · 03 of 05

Takaaki Ishii

Senior Investment Director

Takaaki joined Taiho Ventures in 2019 from Taiho Pharmaceutical, where he led the in-licensing of AB928 (A2aR/A2bR dual antagonist) from Arcus Biosciences and ran Medical Science Liaison work for ABRAXANE and KEYTRUDA in Japan. Trained as a molecular biologist; eleven-plus years across early clinical development and portfolio strategy.

Taiho Pharmaceutical · Oncology · Arcus Biosciences (in-licensing)

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Editorial portrait — Hidefumi Kasuga, PhD, Investment Director.

Plate · 04 of 05

Hidefumi Kasuga, PhD

Investment Director

Hidefumi joined the firm in 2022 after nine years inside Taiho Pharmaceutical's oncology drug discovery group, working on EGFR-targeting compounds. PhD in pharmaceutical science from the University of Tokyo, 2013.

Taiho Pharmaceutical · EGFR Discovery · University of Tokyo

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Editorial portrait — Takayuki Hirano, PhD, Associate Investment Director.

Plate · 05 of 05

Takayuki Hirano, PhD

Associate Investment Director

Takayuki joined Taiho Ventures in 2024 after fifteen-plus years in non-clinical drug development — toxicological evaluation through pre-clinical, lead toxicology on multiple global oncology IND submissions. PhD in engineering, Tokushima University.

Taiho Pharmaceutical · Non-clinical Development · Tokushima University

05 — Philosophy

We strive to improve human health and contribute to a society enriched by smiles.

The Taiho Pledge · Est. 1963

The pledge is older than most of the molecules we have ever shipped. It is also what governs every term sheet we issue, every board seat we take, and every founder we choose to walk alongside.