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Takeda Biopharmaceuticals Appoints Annapurna Das as India General Manager

In her new role, Das will spearhead efforts to ensure patient access to Takeda’s innovative medicines and vaccines, while fostering collaborations to enhance the domestic healthcare and pharmaceutical market.

• By PharmaNews Live Desk
• New Delhi
• May 16, 2024

News

Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India Pvt Ltd has named Annapurna Das as the new General Manager for its operations in India, the company announced on Thursday.

In her new role, Das will spearhead efforts to ensure patient access to Takeda’s innovative medicines and vaccines, while fostering collaborations to enhance the domestic healthcare and pharmaceutical market.

“Annapurna comes with more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry across India and Southeast Asia. Before joining Takeda, she held key leadership positions at various multinational healthcare companies, including Miltenyi Biotec, Sanofi, GSK, MSD, Pfizer, and Organon, where she demonstrated exceptional leadership in sales, marketing, corporate strategy, and business development across both pharma and vaccines businesses,” the company said in a statement.

“I am truly honoured to be entrusted with this responsibility by Takeda. India is one of the key countries for us, given its diverse population and the significant healthcare challenges. We are fully committed to serving patients in India by providing them with greater access to our innovative medicines and vaccines, ensuring they receive the best possible care. I look forward to working closely with our stakeholders and partners to strengthen our commitment in India while positively impacting the lives of patients across the country,” Annapurna Das said in a statement.

A division of the Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Takeda India focuses on areas such as gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, and oncology. “We are excited to welcome Annapurna to Takeda. Her vast experience and dedication to patient-focused solutions will fuel our continued success and growth in India. With her strategic leadership, we strive to positively impact patients’ lives with Takeda’s innovative healthcare solutions and partnerships to broaden sustainable and equitable access to medicines and vaccines. Annapurna’s alignment with Takeda’s purpose and values reinforces our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, enabling us to create long-term value for patients and society. I am excited to partner with her to build on our strong foundation and take us to the next level of growth in India,” Dion Warren, Area Head of India and Southeast Asia at Takeda, said.

WHO Prequalifies Takeda's Dengue Vaccine

In other news, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that it has prequalified Takeda’s dengue vaccine. The TAK-003 vaccine, a live-attenuated formulation, is the second dengue vaccine to receive WHO prequalification. The TAK-003 vaccine includes weakened forms of the four dengue virus serotypes.

Previously, the WHO had prequalified the CYD-TDV dengue vaccine developed by Sanofi Pasteur. The WHO recommends the use of TAK-003 for children aged 6-16 years in regions with a high dengue burden. The vaccination schedule involves two doses administered three months apart.

"The prequalification of TAK-003 is an important step in the expansion of global access to dengue vaccines, as it is now eligible for procurement by UN agencies including UNICEF and PAHO," said Dr. Rogerio Gaspar, WHO Director for Regulation and Prequalification. He encouraged more vaccine developers to seek assessment to ensure broad vaccine availability.

Earlier this year, Takeda partnered with Hyderabad-based Biological E to expedite the production of TAK-003 in India. Biological E aims to scale up production to potentially reach 50 million doses annually, and Takeda aspires to produce 100 million doses annually within the decade. Takeda's Phase 3 trial, published in The Lancet Global Health, indicates that TAK-003 offers protection against dengue fever for up to four and a half years post-vaccination.

Dengue is transmitted by infected mosquitoes and affects over 100-400 million people annually, with 3.8 billion individuals living in dengue-endemic areas in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Takeda India Expansion and Recent Developments

Takeda India is expanding its footprint and capabilities, aligning with the parent company's global strategies. The company is focused on enhancing access to critical therapies in areas such as oncology, rare diseases, and gastroenterology.

Recent developments include strategic partnerships and local manufacturing initiatives, such as the collaboration with Biological E to produce the dengue vaccine TAK-003 in India, underscoring Takeda’s commitment to addressing public health challenges and improving patient outcomes in the region.