JAPAN —Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited has announced that it will invest approximately US$764.6 million to construct a new manufacturing facility for plasma-derived therapies (PDTs) in Osaka, Japan.
This significant investment represents Takeda’s largest-ever investment in manufacturing capacity expansion in Japan and is aligned with the company’s capital allocation policy of “Investing in Growth Drivers.”
This approach ensures that the company makes disciplined and focused investments in value-creating business opportunities, enabling Takeda to establish a world-class end-to-end manufacturing facility for PDTs at its Juso, Osaka plant.
This announcement by Takeda follows a joint initiative with United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) launched last year to strengthen healthcare systems in countries and meet the growing demand for plasma and plasma-derived therapies.
The initiative aims to create a neutral platform that brings together experts, policymakers, patient organizations, academia, civil society, and the private sector to increase awareness, build partnerships and facilitate access to scientific knowledge and best practices.
This initiative will complement and find synergies with other existing initiatives to improve plasma ecosystems and increase patient access to care.
The pilot phase of the initiative will be implemented in collaboration with two countries, whose participation can serve as a pathfinder for potential expansion in the future.
The importance of plasma-derived therapies is affirmed by their inclusion in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, emphasizing their significance for the healthcare system and the need to facilitate access to these products in all countries.
Similarly, an increasing number of countries acknowledge the need for – and interest in – strengthening the resilience of their healthcare systems in the field of plasma supply.
Plasma-derived therapies, such as immunoglobulins (Ig) therapy, alpha-1 proteins, C1 esterase, and albumin, are used to treat a wide range of rare, chronic disorders.
Immunoglobulin (Ig) therapy is primarily used to treat primary immunodeficiencies, which include autoimmune blood disorders like idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, as well as secondary antibody deficiency in cancer patients.
Alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor is given to individuals with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, while C1 esterase inhibitor is utilized for patients with hereditary angioedema.
Blood clotting factors are used to treat hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease, and albumin is used to treat certain liver conditions, burns, shock, and trauma.
New facility to be operational by 2030
The new state-of-the-art facility will be the largest of its kind in Japan and is expected to be operational by around 2030.
The investment will increase the capacity of Takeda’s current plasma manufacturing site in Narita, Japan, almost five-fold and will enable the company to serve more patients in Japan sustainably.
Additionally, it will add incremental capacity to Takeda’s global manufacturing network, thereby ensuring an uninterrupted supply of plasma therapies to patients globally.
The facility will be built to the highest global manufacturing standards and incorporate the latest automation and advanced digital technologies.
It will be a fully integrated plant, comprising of teardown, fractionation, purification, filling, finishing capabilities, and a cold storage warehouse.
Furthermore, the plant will be environmentally friendly, which supports Takeda’s goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions related to operations, including scopes 1 and 2, before 2035.
Takeda’s existing Narita plasma manufacturing site will continue day-to-day operations until at least the end of the decade, with continued necessary investments for maintenance.
Takeda’s President of the Japan Pharma Business Unit, Milano Furuta, stated that the new investment would strengthen the company’s ability to continuously and reliably bring high-quality PDTs to a growing number of patients in Japan and worldwide.
Thomas Wozniewski, Takeda’s Global Manufacturing & Supply Officer, further explained that the new facility would provide a plasma fractionation capacity of more than 2 million liters per year.
The company would unleash the power of automation and digitalization to deliver high-quality products to patients reliant on PDTs, including those with diseases for which there are no alternative treatments.
Wozniewski also emphasized the strategic importance of Japan in Takeda’s global manufacturing network and its contribution to supply chain resilience worldwide.
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