Takeda returns to CIIE, commits to China

Takeda, a global values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company, is returning to the China International Import Expo (CIIE) this year to showcase its innovative medicines and breakthrough therapies, and to demonstrate its long-term commitment to the China market.

China has always been one of the most important markets for Takeda. In this year’s CIIE, Takeda reemphasized its strong confidence in the China market. Encouraged by the Healthy China 2030 initiative and the government’s innovation-friendly policies, Takeda plans to introduce more than 15 innovative medicines in China in the next five years. Once widely available, Takeda estimates these medicines will bring significant benefits to around 10 million patients with complex and rare diseases in China and will elevate the quality of life of their families and care-givers.

“CIIE is a demonstration of China’s commitment to further open up, and its encouragement for innovation and global collaboration,” said Ricardo Marek, president of Growth & Emerging Markets Business Unit at Takeda. “We are honored to participate this year’s CIIE to bring our innovative medicines to China, and will continue to make significant investments in China. China is a very important country for Takeda, and we have great confidence in the long-term potential of the China pharma market.”

Blockbuster medicines and promising pipeline

This year, Takeda will return to the CIIE with two pavilions occupying a total floor area of 750 square meters. Both booths feature a design of Origami Crane, a symbol of peace and hope, reflecting the company’s vision to bringing better health and brighter future to patients by translating science into highly innovative medicines.

In the 600-square-meter main pavilion, Takeda will present a full range of its first-in-class, best-in-class innovative products, breakthrough therapies and future pipeline in the fields of oncology, rare diseases, gastroenterology, neuroscience, plasma-derived therapies and vaccines.

Among them, Ninlaro® (ixazomib) is the world’s first oral proteasome inhibitor for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Vocinti® (vonoprazan fumarate tablets) is a new treatment for reflux esophagitis with a novel mechanism of action. ADCETRIS® (brentuximab vedotin) is the first antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CD30 approved in China for the treatment of systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) and Hodgkin lymphoma.

The company’s portfolio also includes Entyvio® (vedolizumab), the only gut-selective biologic for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, Replagal® (agalsidase alfa), a long-term enzyme replacement therapy for patients with Fabry disease, and Flexbumin®, the world’s first and only human albumin in a flexible plastic container.

Also, Takeda will exhibit multiple innovative products that are set to be approved in China soon, mainly in the field of rare diseases. Takhzyro® (lanadelumab) is the first monoclonal antibody for the preventive treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE). Vpriv® (velaglucerase alfa), an enzyme replacement therapy for long-term use in patients with Gaucher disease, is expected to change the treatment landscape in China where only a single drug was available in the past decade. The new drug application for Firazyr (icatibant injection) to treat acute attacks of HAE in adults, adolescents and children aged over 2 has also been submitted to the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) in China recently. Also myPKFiT, a free web-based, Rx software, is the first and only pharmacokinetic (PK) dosing software for use with hemophilia A patients.

Supporting global fight against novel coronavirus

Apart from exhibiting its innovative medicines and future pipeline, as the vice chair unit of the Public Health Committee at the CIIE, Takeda has also set up a 150-square-meter pavilion at the newly created Public Health and Epidemic Prevention section, where it will demonstrate the corporate’s commitment and efforts in supporting the global combat against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Particularly, Takeda has joined hands with world-leading plasma companies to set up the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance, to help develop a potential plasma-derived therapy for people at risk of serious complications from COVID-19. An experimental therapy is now being tested in a Phase 3 clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States.

The trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of the alliance’s investigational anti-coronavirus hyperimmune intravenous immunoglobulin (H-Ig) medicine for treating hospitalized adults at risk of serious complications from COVID-19. If successful, the Alliance’s H-Ig may become one of the earliest treatment options for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Besides the plasma-derived therapy, Takeda is also testing four products which are in their pipeline and could have a benefit against COVID-19, as parallel research.

“COVID-19 reminds us that public health matters for global prosperity, and cross-border collaboration is essential to fight against the pandemic,” said Sean Shan, president of Takeda China. “In such a context, the CIIE offers a new ecosystem to bolster global cooperation in innovation. As a global innovative pharmaceutical company, Takeda is committed to playing our part to help strengthen these approaches in China.”

To help battle the pandemic, Takeda has donated about US$23 million globally in cash and supplies. In China, Takeda’s donation has reached 6 million yuan. Amid the pandemic, Takeda has also accelerated digital transformation in China by collaborating with major Chinese digital platforms to explore new channels and provide more convenient services for patients.

Unwavering commitment to China and patients

Takeda has been deeply rooted in the China market for 26 years and has been devoted to leveraging innovation to benefit Chinese people. Its continuous investment in China reflects the China market’s significance as one of the most important growth markets for the company.

Since 2015, Takeda has been investing over 1.5 billion yuan in new drug development in China. Earlier in 2017, the Takeda Development Center Asia was upgraded to become one of the three regional development centers for Takeda with strategic importance.

In 2020, to facilitate its ambitious plan, Takeda announced that it will further accelerate its China strategy for the next five years. China is set to be included in almost every new development program that Takeda is investing in globally. As soon as one medicine is available in the US and Europe, the company aims to launch it concurrently in China.

In one of its latest moves, in September Takeda officially inaugurated a 110-million-yuan expansion of its production site in Tianjin, which will further enhance its storage capacity and supply chain capability and improve Takeda’s overall supply capability for China and emerging markets.

With the launch of more innovative Takeda medicines in China, the company will consider a next-stage expansion at the Tianjin site, to meet the needs of introducing more than 15 innovative medicines in China in the near future.