Takeda to take on Russian pharma, after acquiring €75m factory

Hannah Blake

pharmaphorum

Japan’s top drugmaker, Takeda Pharmaceutical, has completed a purchase of a €75m medicines factory in Russia, as it begins to fulfil its aim of taking over the Russian market. Last year, Takeda firmly cemented its place in the emerging markets when it acquired Swiss pharma company, Nycomed, for US $13.7bn.

According to a recent report, Russia’s pharmaceutical market value is set to triple in the next eight years, due to the number of opportunities for both high-cost drugs and generics. As well as a number of other emerging markets, Russia has increasingly demanded local production, so by acquiring a medicines factory, Takeda hopes to increase its product sales in Russia by 15% over the next four years.

“[This purchase] anchors us firmly as one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Russia… We want to defend this position and, if possible, extend it – and for this we need to be a serious player with a local production base.”

Frank Morich, Director and Chief Commercial Officer at Takeda, who is responsible for all sales outside Japan.

Takeda is now the seventh largest drugmaker in Russia by sales. Its new state-of-the-art production plant will be situated 280km from Moscow. The company will employ 200 staff for this new facility, which will have the capacity to produce 2bn tablets a year, after it becomes fully operational in 2014. Takeda is initially planning to produce three Nycomed generic drugs for sale in Russia – Caridomagnyl, Actovegin and Calcium tablets.

“Strategically, we want to be in Russia. There is a very strong and healthy business case.”

Jostein Davidson, head of emerging markets at Takeda.