Takeda Breaks Ground on a State-of-the-Art Facility in Osaka, Japan

On May 28, 2019, Takeda President and CEO Christophe Weber, together with two members of the Takeda Executive Team, participated in a traditional Japanese ground-breaking ceremony at the company’s Osaka Plant. With construction set to begin in August 2019, this state-of-the-art facility for the manufacture of anticancer drug Leuprorelin is an 11-billion-yen investment and the first of several future developments targeting the historical Osaka site.  As Weber stated in his speech, “This investment not only strengthens Takeda’s presence in Japan, but also affirms our commitment to deliver high-quality medicines by continuing to improve our best-in-class manufacturing capabilities.”

Takeda’s global manufacturing and Japan’s strategic role
With the acquisition of Shire, Takeda’s global manufacturing and supply network has grown significantly. Today, Takeda operates 34 production sites in 20 different countries with two of their main global sites in Japan. In addition to the Osaka plant, the company also established the Hikari center of excellence which supplies the global market with a huge range of innovative products from small molecules to biologics and vaccines.

Building an industry 4.0 plant 
Used in the treatment of prostate cancer and premenopausal breast cancer by large numbers of patients in more than 60 countries, Leuprorelin is an injection that requires extremely advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies to produce. The addition of an isolator facility to the Osaka plant, as well as the introduction of cutting-edge equipment and the newest robotics technology, will allow for the stable manufacture of the drug in an advanced, sterile environment with minimal human intervention. Furthermore, by utilizing AI (artificial intelligence) driven control of process data, Takeda can ensure drug stability as well as precision-level quality control.

The plant is also designed to be environmentally friendly. A new multi-production line will be capable of producing both vials and double chambered, pre-filled syringes, while a state-of-the-art Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and greatly improved energy efficiency guarantee the prioritization of safety and efficiency at every stage of the manufacturing process.  

The Osaka Plant: Looking back at more than a century of history 
The Osaka plant was established more than 100 years ago in 1915 by Chobei Takeda V (1870-1959) who built the plant in Juso (an area in central Osaka) to meet the demand for Western medicines created by restrictions during the First World War. From its humble beginnings, the Osaka Plant has grown to encompass 160,000 square meters and is now home to around 270 employees. With the addition of the new manufacturing facility, Takeda has ensured that this historical site will remain globally competitive for years to come.

Disclaimer
The drug information contained herein is intended for the disclosure of Takeda corporate information and is not intended to advertise or promote any prescription drug, including those under development.