GrowthTaking the CEO Baton — Advancing Together with Patients as a Japan‑Based Global Specialty Pharmaceutical Company

In March 2026, Kyowa Kirin passed the CEO baton from Masashi Miyamoto to Abdul Mullick.
In this message, Abdul shares his commitment as CEO and the initiatives he intends to focus on as he leads the Company into its next phase of growth.

In assuming this new role, I take great strength from the experience gained working alongside former Miyamoto CEO and promoting the Story for Vision 2030 as a member of the management team. In my eight years since joining the Company, I have worked closely with Miyamoto-san on the journey toward globalization. Learning and absorbing the values and organizational structure unique to Japanese companies, I believe these attributes now serve as one of the greatest assets of this company and I will work to continue them.

My mission as the new CEO is quite simple. Combining the Kyowa Kirin Group's long-standing R&D capabilities with the insights I have gained globally, our goal is to continuously create and deliver "life-changing value" as a Japan-based global specialty pharmaceutical company. With this goal in mind, my mission as CEO is to help Kyowa Kirin become a truly unique and exceptional company on the global stage. On a personal note, I have complete confidence in Kyowa Kirin's R&D capabilities as evidenced by its proven track record on the world stage. Over a five-year period commencing 2017, for example, we led Japan's corporate sector in the number of approvals received from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I am convinced that the Group's integrity and strong sense of mission underpin this capability and track record. Buoyed by a shared vision, our employees boldly take on challenges that may seem impossible at first glance while pouring their passion into groundbreaking initiatives. I strongly believe that this allows us to achieve the ultimate goal of creating life-changing value.

Today, Kyowa Kirin brings together over 5,000 employees with diverse backgrounds and expertise. This exceptional workforce is united by the shared aspiration of "delivering life-changing value to patients worldwide." To realize our vision, it is vital that we approach every facet of our business from the "patient's perspective." We must consider how illnesses cast a shadow over daily life, and what aspects of daily life are altered. Of equal importance, we must assess how our drugs help bring back smiles to the faces of patients and their families. Only by deeply empathizing with each individual's story (narrative) and supporting them through life can we truly create "life-changing value."

Of course, simply articulating a vision is not enough to inspire a group with such diverse backgrounds to translate it into concrete action. With this in mind, we established the "KABEGOE Principles" in 2025. The KABEGOE Principles articulate the shared aspirations and behaviors we seek in our people and our organization in order to bring our vision to life.
Over the past year, I have personally visited each of our business sites around the world and engaged in direct dialogue with members of every department. In addition to carefully explaining the principles, I have spearheaded efforts to embrace the Principles and set an example together with the management team. Through these means, every effort is being made to ensure widespread acceptance throughout the organization. This also extends to Orchard Therapeutics plc, which joined the Group in 2024. They, too, are working to understand our values and to integrate the Principles into their own organizational culture.

As the Principles become increasingly rooted in the organization, I am confident the Kyowa Kirin Group will evolve into a genuinely dynamic cross-regional and cross-functional organization that transcends regional and departmental boundaries. For example, our development team in the U.S. applies innovative technologies that originate from Japan to clinical trials while bases in Europe develop advanced access strategies. As well, by combining Orchard Therapeutics' hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy platform with our long-standing expertise in therapeutic antibodies, we can deliver new treatment options, clearing the path for a world of possibilities. This global structure and systems enable us to seamlessly carry out this series of steps, unfettered by geographical distance or hierarchical boundaries, precisely embodies our vision of a "Super Team."

The Group disclosed updated details of its growth story, "Vision 2030 and Beyond," in February 2026. Against the backdrop of an internal and external environment that is changing on a daily basis, we recognize the need to address these changes flexibly and adroitly while maintaining a firm grip on our long-term goals from 2026. With this in mind, rather than adhere to the established approach of fixed KPIs based on a five-year outlook, we will disclose details of plans on an annual basis as well as forecasts for the ensuing three years. In this manner, we will flexibly optimize plans and work toward realizing Vision 2030 and our long-term goals while responding in an agile way to changes in the environment.

To this end, we will focus on "creating innovative life-changing value," "delivering life-changing value to patients," and "pursuing operational excellence with a Super Team," the three pillars on which Vision 2030 and Beyond are grounded. At the same time, we will work to exist in harmony with local communities, reduce our environmental impact, and engage in highly transparent corporate governance, all of which form the foundation for growth. We view these not merely as obligations, but as critical elements for ensuring the Company's long-term resilience.

Our commitment to placing patients at the center of everything we do will never change. Over the past year since assuming the role of COO in 2025, I have intentionally created opportunities to listen to patients in a wide range of settings—from discussions at the Board level to direct dialogue with employees across the organization. I believe that such opportunities for dialogue with patients will become increasingly important for our organization. To further strengthen these efforts, starting this fiscal year we have established a new role, Global Patient Engagement Lead, to expand opportunities to directly listen and learn from the voices of patients.

I myself have had the privilege of speaking directly with patients with rare diseases and their families, and I continue to stay in touch with them today. The "life‑changing" experiences they shared—moments when access to treatment profoundly transformed their lives—remain deeply etched in my memory. Each time I reflect on those conversations, I am reminded that, no matter the obstacles or challenges we may face, there is always value in continuing to move forward. It is my hope that through engagement with patients, our employees too will come to share this same sense of purpose and conviction.

I am truly honored to be entrusted with the role of CEO at this pivotal moment, and I am fully committed to dedicating my full energy to supporting the Kyowa Kirin Group as it takes its next leap forward into the future. We welcome your support and your feedback as our story of value creation unfolds.