2025
Ascent Development Services are officially integrating into the PharmaLex group
Tokyo, Japan – 3 March 2025: In 2022, Ascent Development Services (Ascent) was acquired by the PharmaLex group who are now part of Cencora. Cencora is a leading global healthcare company with a foundation in pharmaceutical distribution. It’s a name that represents a global focus on empowering our partners with transformative solutions for broader equity, sustainability and impact in healthcare.
Since 2024, Ascent Development Services have progressively begun their journey to be fully integrated into the PharmaLex group of companies.
Cencora is bringing the PharmaLex companies and services together under one brand. This shared identity unites Cencora and PharmaLex with a common purpose to create healthier futures and accelerate positive outcomes for our customers and their patients.
While Ascent Development Services logo will change to Cencora PharmaLex, the level of attention and service from our team remains the same. The same people, the same focus on partnership.
For now, it’s business as usual. The only difference is that Ascent are even closer to the broader PharmaLex organization and have a true alignment in the services offered. You will have access to an expanded suite of solutions and opportunities, should you wish to explore them — a wider range from development to commercialization, more territories, expanded resources. We will remain attuned to your needs and be ready to add new services as your projects require.
It’s an exciting time to be part of PharmaLex as we build our new identity and continue to work with our clients and partners to create healthier futures for people all over the world.
To learn more about our transition to PharmaLex, a part of Cencora, please reach out to your company representative with any questions or contact us at enquiries.jp@pharmalex.com
Our identity is new, but our history runs deep.
Click here to learn more about PharmaLex and parent company Cencora.
2022
Agreement brings complementary capabilities in clinical, regulatory and scientific affairs for clients in key markets
PharmaLex extends reach to Japan, East Asia and Southeast Asia with Ascent Development Services merger
Frankfurt, Germany – 8 January 2022: PharmaLex Group, a leading provider of specialized services for the pharma, biotech and medtech industries worldwide, has announced a merger agreement with Ascent Development Services, a Japan-based leader in enabling the integration of Asia into global pharmaceutical product development.
Founded in 2017, Ascent’s team of experts work with emerging biopharma companies to understand and overcome differences in medical practice, culture and language in order to achieve the optimal strategic and operational integration of Asia into global drug development. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ascent employs staff across Asia, including China, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam and provides a balance of country-specific knowledge mixed with strategic advice from a global perspective.
The Ascent merger offers access to an attractive client portfolio and adds substantially to PharmaLex’s global footprint, not only in the Japanese market but in other key markets throughout East and Southeast Asia. With deep roots in Asia, Ascent can act as a true partner in the region and, through the merger with PharmaLex, can leverage full service capabilities both locally and globally for emerging biopharma companies to fully pursue globally integrated pharmaceutical product development including Asia.
“The merger with PharmaLex provides our existing and future clients with access to a robust set of comprehensive and integrated product development capabilities across the US, EU and Asia,” said John Winebarger, CEO of Ascent. ”With our strong cultural fit and highly aligned strategy, Ascent will continue to provide its unique Japan/ Asian oriented services while leveraging PharmaLex’s complementary services in the US and EU in order to provide support of truly global drug development planning and implementation.”
“We are thrilled to welcome the Ascent team to the PharmaLex Group, and the opportunity to add scale and depth to our developing consulting and scientific affairs services across clinical and regulatory in markets throughout East and Southeast Asia,” said PharmaLex CEO Dr. Thomas Dobmeyer. “The merger enables us to continue our goal of providing integrated product development support to customers worldwide, and to serve emerging biopharma companies by integrating East and Southeast Asia into global clinical development programs.”
March 2022
Meeting Highlights: DIA Cutting Edge Series AI/Digital Symposium 2021 in Japan
Rational Medicine and Digital Technology in Japan:
Connecting the Silos
Ascent’s Vice President, Kazuhiro Kanmuri, has written an article about innovation, optimization, or connectivity and how they can create both opportunities and barriers in delivering rational medicine to patients. Click here to read more.
2022
Partnering Events
Ascent is participating in the following partnering forums:
October 2021
DIA 2021:
Ascent’s Vice President receives award at the 18th DIA Japan Annual Meeting
DIA Japan Inspire Award Winners
Dr. Kazuhiro Kanmuri, PhD receives Excellence in Service Award at the 18th DIA Japan Annual Meeting, with the theme: “New Challenges, New Solutions”.
“Dr Kanmuri, PhD in Regulatory Science field, has about 25 years of extensive clinical development expertise covering various indications for cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases, in addition to various rare disease applications including oncology area, regenerative medicine and vaccine products. He is now serving as Vice President, Clinical Development in Ascent Development Services to provide pan-Asian clinical development services. He is also serving as a talent development consultant at his own firm, Inter-Professional. He has been serving as program committee chair for DIA sutting edge series AI/Digital Technoloigy Symposium since 2019. He also served as vice program committee chairperson for DIA Japan Annual meeting in 2018.”
2021
Partnering Events
Ascent is participating in the following partnering forums:
BIO Europe Autumn 2021
Bio Partnering APAC 2021
Biopharm America Digital 2021
BIO International Convention Digital 2021
Chinabio Partnering Forum 2021
Biotechgate Digital Partnering 2021
BIO Europe Spring 2021
Immunology Virtual Partnering 2021
Oncology Virtual Partnering 2021
Bio Partnering APAC 2020
BIO Partnering at JPM 2021
April 2021
AI / Digital Technology Symposium in Drug Development
DIA Cutting Edge Series #1
Chaired by Ascent’s VP, Kazuhiro Kanmuri, PhD, the program committee of DIA’s Cutting Edge Webinar Series is holding an AI-digital symposium this April 21, 2021 entitled “Seeking the Golden Rule in the Age of Innovation: Creating a Quest Map for Digital Technology and Healthcare Industry Innovation”.
For more details about the program, click here.
March 2021
Japan Healthcare 2035:
Ascent’s VP talks about the future of Japan’s healthcare system
“Japan has been facing an unprecedented situation with fewer children and our aging society. The Japan policy of Healthcare 2035 actually focuses on this problem.”
Ascent’s VP of Clinical Development, Kazuhiro Kanmuri, PhD, was invited to talk about the challenges that Japan is facing in its healthcare system. To listen and learn more about his podcast, click here.