• Home
• /
• Business

Takeda: Creating better health for a brighter future

Danilo Cassani, Takeda Area Head NEMEA (Near East, Middle East and Africa) talks about the new solutions being developed by the company for effective medicines

Tell us about Takeda and its initiation.
Takeda is a patient-focused, innovation-driven global pharmaceutical company that builds on a distinguished 235-year history, aspiring to bring better health and a brighter future for patients worldwide by translating science into life-changing medicines. Takeda focuses its research efforts on oncology, gastroenterology and central nervous system therapeutic areas. It also has specific development programmes in specialty cardiovascular diseases as well as late-stage candidates for vaccines.
Our founder, Chobei Takeda the first, began his journey by selling traditional Japanese and Chinese herbal medicines in the medicine district of Osaka, Japan. His business integrity and quality products created a valuable impression throughout the years and became embedded into our uncompromising corporate philosophy, which still guide us today.
How has Takeda grown since its inception?
Takeda's robust and trustworthy model to actively partner with multi-national companies led to our expansion. Our focus on R&D, use of innovative technology and sustaining sales growth not only puts us among the best partners in the industry, but also built our reputation as a reliable international pharmaceutical company.
What is your vision and mission?
At Takeda, we share our corporate philosophy with the entire group and promote a disciplined and professional culture. What differentiates us at Takeda are our values - Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance
Which countries and regions is Takeda operational in?
Our network at Takeda spans over 70 countries and regions worldwide, in Japan, U.S., Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region. Takeda's pharmaceutical products are marketed in around 100 countries worldwide, including partnerships (marketing alliance partners).
We passionately believe in providing access to medicine where it is needed most and in 2011, our management took the conscious decision to be more present in the UAE through the acquisition of Nycomed. Since then, we have established a strong regional presence, focusing on bringing cutting edge medicine and investing in research in areas of priority such as gastrointestinal and oncology. 
Tell us about your positions and guidelines in the NEMEA region
The deep-rooted healthcare system in the Near East, Middle East & Africa (NEMEA) region, which includes Middle East, Africa, Turkey, Ukraine and Moldova, is a gateway for a growing pharmaceutical market. Over the past few years, we've expanded our presence in the region and established our portfolio of world-class products.
Building on Takeda's global gastro leadership and 25-year expertise, we have achieved a number of milestones in this area. In addition, our recent acquisition of Ariad Pharmaceuticals, an oncology-focused biotechnology company, is an exciting step for Takeda that will significantly enhance our oncology footprint and bring us closer to our goal of being a leader in oncology. It is also a unique opportunity that will enable us to positively impact the lives of more patients worldwide and achieve our mission of curing cancer. 
Can you give us an insight into your team?
At Takeda we foster a collaborative and stimulating work environment filled with opportunity and the chance to make a difference in people's lives. The team at Takeda brings together many different elements - experiences, backgrounds, nationalities, and cultures - that together create a stronger whole. I am proud to announce that three countries from the NEMEA region (South Africa, Turkey and Ukraine) have been awarded with the Top Employers certification in FY 2016, which is a testament to the numerous exciting initiatives rolled-out as part of the HR Strategy to develop talent and capabilities across the region. This is also an important milestone in our journey to become a preferred employer in NEMEA. 
What does the future hold for Takeda? 
Takeda's long history has been built through sincerity and striving for innovation at all times. Going forward, we aim to collaborate with the scientific community and local authorities to provide comprehensive service to patients. In addition, we want to focus on external partnerships, which will help us to support patients' access to care.
At Takeda, we focus on R&D to innovate and develop our key therapeutic areas where we want to be at the cutting edge of innovation in oncology, gastroenterology (GI) and central nervous system (CNS). We aim to use new technologies to optimise our existing products while being able to develop new solutions for effective medicines and continue the positive momentum to strengthen our presence in the region as well as optimise our commitment to patients.