Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: TAK) has underscored its commitment to the Chinese market at this week’s Takeda R&D China Innovation Forum 2024 in Shanghai. The forum highlighted the integration of China into the company’s global research pipeline, with President Andy Plump announcing that Chinese sites are now participating in 100% of Takeda’s late-stage clinical trials and approximately 50% of early-stage studies.
In a strategic pivot initiated in 2022, Takeda has significantly increased its investment in R&D within China, aiming to position the country as its second most important market by 2030. This strategy included the establishment of an Asia-Pacific R&D headquarters in Shanghai. As Plump noted, “We currently have six drugs in late-stage clinical trials globally and have secured approvals for 14 innovative drugs in China since 2018.”
Chris Arendt, Takeda’s Chief Scientific Officer, emphasized that China’s involvement in global R&D can expedite development timelines. Beyond merely importing Takeda’s pipeline, China is emerging as a hub for innovation. Plump stated, “We’ve been actively exploring partnerships to deliver innovative drugs and transformative treatments to patients.” A notable example is Takeda’s March 2023 licensing agreement with HutchMed, valued at USD 1.13 billion, for the development rights of the VEGF inhibitor Fruzaqla/Elunate (fruquintinib) in markets outside Greater China, which received its first approval in the U.S. for colorectal cancer in November 2023.- Flcube.com
