Takeda Marks 30 Years in China, Celebrating the Successful Fulfillment of Its “Aspiration Plan”

October 15, 2024, Tianjin, China– Today, Takeda commemorates its 30th anniversary in China, celebrating a significant milestone in the company’s unwavering commitment to sustainable development. The year 2024 is a landmark year, highlighting the successful delivery of Takeda’s “Aspiration Plan”, which aimed to introduce over 15 innovative products to the Chinese market. The Tianjin manufacturing site is integral to this mission, focusing on the production of oncology and gastroenterology therapies—two of the four strategic therapeutic areas that are vital in addressing the unmet needs of the Chinese patients. With the acceleration of new approvals and fast access facilitated by its “Aspiration Plan”, Takeda is poised to elevate China to be the company’s second-largest global market by 2031, supported by its “Elevate China” strategy.

Thomas Wozniewski, global manufacturing & supply officer at Takeda and Konrad Struski, general manager of the Takeda Tianjin Manufacturing Site welcomed the attendance of FUKUDA NATSUKI,First Secretary of the Economic Department of the Japanese Embassy in China, and other partners and guests to the celebration at the Tianjin site.

The Tianjin manufacturing site, established in 1994, was Takeda’s first production facility in China, marking the beginning of local production for the company. The site stands as a cornerstone for Takeda’s journey in China. In 2019, Takeda invested RMB 110 million to expand the Tianjin site, which significantly enhanced its production capacity and storage capacity, and further established it as a state-of-the-art production hub for Takeda.

“China is a key strategic market for Takeda,” said Thomas Wozniewski, global manufacturing & supply officer at Takeda. “The Tianjin site has been crucial in supporting our ‘in China, for China’ strategy over the past three decades, producing high-quality pharmaceuticals locally. Additionally, the site continues to play an important role in our manufacturing network through its focus on local production and constant modernization.”

The Tianjin manufacturing site currently produces two key products: Vonoprazan Fumarate Tablets and Leuprorelin Acetate Microspheres for Injection, both of which are strategically important for addressing the unmet needs of Chinese patients. Vonoprazan Fumarate Tablets is a first-in-class potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB)¹. It is primarily used for treating reflux esophagitis (RE) and as part of combination therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (Hp), a bacterium linked to many gastrointestinal diseases. The infection rate of Helicobacter pylori in China by individual is about 46.7%², which has the characteristics of high infection rate, heavy disease burden and high drug resistance rate in the population, and the infection rate of Helicobacter pylori in the family is even as high as 71.2%³, which has obvious family aggregation; Leuprorelin Acetate Microspheres for Injection, also known as Leuprorelin, has been a cornerstone of Takeda’s oncology and endocrinology portfolio since its introduction in China in 1994. It is the long-acting GnRH agonist approved in China that covers three major indications: central precocious puberty (CPP), premenopausal breast cancer, and prostate cancer⁴.

Over the past 30 years, the continuous production of Leuprorelin Acetate Microspheres for Injection at the Tianjin facility ensures that Chinese patients continue to receive this essential treatment, helping patients in managing serious conditions like prostate cancer and CPP.

To better address the growing demand for the treatment of high-prevalence diseases in China, Takeda has invested an additional RMB 50 million in 2022 for the Vonoprazan Fumarate Tablets drug process technology transfer from Japan to the Tianjin site, it is set for completion by 2026. The projects aim to increase Vonoprazan Fumarate Tablets’s production capacity, which will significantly reduce the lead times and expedite the medicine’s availability in the market.

Supported by the Tianjin municipal government, the Tianjin site has experienced continued investment in recent years.

The Tianjin site supports Takeda’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, as well as its decarbonization and circular economy initiatives. The facility emphasizes environmental sustainability and contributes to Takeda’s goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations by 2035 and across its value chain by 2040. Since 2023, the Tianjin site has been fully powered by renewable energy. A significant initiative under the Takeda Climate Action Program for Sites (CAPS) is the installation of photovoltaic panels, and procures energy need from renewable sources. Additionally, the site is also actively working to reduce its fresh-water consumption to support Takeda’s global goal of 5 percent⁵ fresh-water withdrawal reduction by 2025.

“Establishing a manufacturing site in Tianjin was the beginning and also a major milestone for us in China,” said Konrad Struski, general manager of the Takeda Tianjin Manufacturing Site. “Over the past three decades, we have been improving the site and contributing to local economy while remaining committed to producing high-quality medicines for Chinese patients. Looking ahead, we will continue our journey and further strengthen our role as a key contributor to Takeda’s growth in China.”

Takeda has played a part in the development of China’s biopharma industry and maintained strong growth over the past 30 years. In 2023, Takeda China ranked as one of the top 10 multinational pharmaceutical companies in the country. Takeda accelerated its commitment to bring more than 16 innovative medicines and treatment options (15 medical products and 1 digital solution) to patients in China to benefit more than 10 million Chinese patients. With the introduction of more innovative medicines in China, Takeda is exploring the next phase of expansion at the Tianjin site. This initiative aims to empower Takeda China to fulfill its commitment to the “Elevate China” strategy by enhancing the facility’s capabilities. Key areas for this upgrade will include improvements in infrastructure, advancements in digital technology, and talent development.

Approval No.: C-ANPROM/CN/CORP/0474

Approval Date: October 2024

Disclaimer

1. The drug information contained herein may not be available in all countries or may be subject to different trademarks, indications or patient dosages in different countries.

2. This article is intended to convey cutting-edge medical information and does not constitute a recommendation or promotion of any drug or treatment regimen.

3. If you would like to learn more about a disease or information about a drug or treatment, please consult a healthcare professional.

About Takeda

Takeda is focused on creating better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We aim to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments in our core therapeutic and business areas, including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines. Together with our partners, we aim to improve the patient experience and advance a new frontier of treatment options through our dynamic and diverse pipeline. As a leading values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, we are guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Our employees in approximately 80 countries and regions are driven by our purpose and are grounded in the values that have defined us for more than two centuries. For more information, visit www.takeda.com.

Important Notice

For the purposes of this notice, “press release” means this document, any oral presentation, any question and answer session and any written or oral material discussed or distributed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”) regarding this release. This press release (including any oral briefing and any question-and-answer in connection with it) is not intended to, and does not constitute, represent or form part of any offer, invitation or solicitation of any offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction. No shares or other securities are being offered to the public by means of this press release. No offering of securities shall be made in the United States except pursuant to registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom. This press release is being given (together with any further information which may be provided to the recipient) on the condition that it is for use by the recipient for information purposes only (and not for the evaluation of any investment, acquisition, disposal or any other transaction). Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws.

The companies in which Takeda directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this press release, “Takeda” is sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Takeda and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and any materials distributed in connection with this press release may contain forward-looking statements, beliefs or opinions regarding Takeda’s future business, future position and results of operations, including estimates, forecasts, targets and plans for Takeda. Without limitation, forward-looking statements often include words such as “targets”, “plans”, “believes”, “hopes”, “continues”, “expects”, “aims”, “intends”, “ensures”, “will”, “may”, “should”, “would”, “could”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “projects” or similar expressions or the negative thereof. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements: the economic circumstances surrounding Takeda’s global business, including general economic conditions in Japan and the United States; competitive pressures and developments; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; challenges inherent in new product development, including uncertainty of clinical success and decisions of regulatory authorities and the timing thereof; uncertainty of commercial success for new and existing products; manufacturing difficulties or delays; fluctuations in interest and currency exchange rates; claims or concerns regarding the safety or efficacy of marketed products or product candidates; the impact of health crises, like the novel coronavirus pandemic, on Takeda and its customers and suppliers, including foreign governments in countries in which Takeda operates, or on other facets of its business; the timing and impact of post-merger integration efforts with acquired companies; the ability to divest assets that are not core to Takeda’s operations and the timing of any such divestment(s); and other factors identified in Takeda’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and Takeda’s other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available on Takeda’s website at: https://www.takeda.com/investors/sec-filings-and-security-reports/ or at www.sec.gov. Takeda does not undertake to update any of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule. Past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results or statements of Takeda in this press release may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate, forecast, guarantee or projection of Takeda’s future results.

Medical Information

This press release contains information about products that may not be available in all countries, or may be available under different trademarks, for different indications, in different dosages, or in different strengths. Nothing contained herein should be considered a solicitation, promotion or advertisement for any prescription drugs including the ones under development.

¹ https://www.jiemian.com/article/4364616_foxit.html
² Li M, Sun Y, et al , Helicobacter. 2020 Jul 19:e12729
³Zhou XZ, et al. Gut. 2023 Jan 23:gutjnl-2022-328965.
⁴ PI of Leuprorelin Acetate Microspheres for Injection
⁵ https://www.takeda.com/about/corporate-responsibility/corporate-sustainability/sustainability-approach/planet/stories/water/