Takeda CEO: Patients to benefit from innovation drive

Japanese biopharmaceutical company Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd completed the purchase of Shire Plc in January, making rare diseases another key business area in addition to oncology, gastroenterology, and neuroscience among others in the company's global business blueprint.

In an interview with China Daily when participating in a summer camp in Shanghai for children suffering from rare diseases from all over the country last month, Chief Executive Officer Christophe Weber said the company plans to make significant investments over the next five years in research and development in China, focusing on unmet medical needs in the country.

The combination of China's continued healthcare reforms and the government's focus on encouraging innovation, along with the company's robust plan to accelerate innovation in the country, will result in the availability of 10 of Takeda's innovative medicines in the coming years, including three for patients suffering from rare diseases.