Canadian R&D Initiatives

Takeda has a strong heritage in the discovery of new medicines and continues to invest in research and development (R&D) capabilities that will provide meaningful solutions to patients with unmet medical needs. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on patient needs, creating an innovation network that combines internal strengths with those of the external research community through collaborations and partnerships with biotech, academia, consortia, patient advocacy groups and others.

The launch of the Takeda biologic medicine ENTYVIO^® was an important milestone for the Canadian medical research community. Researchers at the Robarts Research Institute in London, Ontario, played a pivotal role in the treatment’s early discovery and development. Their involvement began with the molecule’s initial development and then in leading the pivotal clinical studies that resulted in its approval in Canada and around the world. This medical discovery was also granted the prestigious Prix Galien for Innovative Product Award 2016.

Takeda Canada is committed to ongoing support of clinical research efforts in Canada with its new specialty medicines in gastroenterology and oncology, as well as basic research activities. 

Canadian research initiatives currently supported by Takeda include:

• British Columbia Cancer Agency: Furthering knowledge in the fight against Canada’s leading cause of death with two major research partnerships. You can learn more here.
• Structural Genomics Consortium: Canadians helping international scientists unlock vital keys to our future healthcare at the MaRS innovation centre in Toronto. You can learn more here.
• enGene Inc.: A strategic alliance with the Montreal-based biotechnology company to discover, develop and commercialize novel therapies for specialty gastrointestinal diseases using enGene’s “Gene Pill” gene delivery platform. You can learn more here.
• PACE (Promoting Access and Care through Centres of Excellence): Canada’s first national network of leading Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis patient care and research centres. You can learn more here.
• IMAGINE SPOR (Inflammation, Microbiome, and Alimentation: Gastro-Intestinal and Neuropsychiatric Effects; Strategy for Patient Oriented Research): A major investment towards the Canadian Institutes for Health Research IMAGINE SPOR initiative hosted by McMaster University, focused on Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease priorities. You can learn more here.
• Myeloma Canada Research Network (MCRN): Supporting the first and only national academic myeloma research group that brings Canadian-designed clinical trials to Canadians across the county. You can learn more here.
• Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI): A research collaboration for much-needed new treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease). You can learn more here.

Takeda Global Research

To learn more about Takeda’s global research program, click here.