Dion Warren - Area Head of India & Southeast Asia (I-SEA) at Takeda. — Photo Courtesy of Takeda

Given the dynamic nature of the pharmaceutical landscape of countries in the I-SEA region, could you elaborate what Takeda perceives in Việt Nam compared to others?

With a rapid rise in population and industrialisation, Việt Nam certainly has rising healthcare demands that need to be addressed, especially around the impact of climate change, and increased incidence of communicable and non-communicable diseases which overloads the healthcare system and causes great burdens on people and their families.

To address the gaps in the current healthcare sector and bring about changes to the status quo, it is essential to forge local and cross-border strategic partnerships across various stakeholder groups and organisations, not only to improve disease education and diagnosis capabilities, but also to share best practices and increase patient access to both basic and innovative medicines and vaccines.

With a rich heritage in innovations and experiences in the global biopharmaceutical industry, Takeda is committed to partnering with Việt Nam’s healthcare sector and key public and private stakeholders to address those challenges and improve the quality of life for people through sustainable and innovative healthcare solutions.

What makes Takeda stand out from other pharmaceutical companies in Việt Nam?

One key aspect that sets Takeda apart is Takeda-ism - our core values of Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance. These values are brought to life through actions based on the Patient-Trust-Reputation-Business decision-making framework: doing the right thing for Patients, reinforcing Trust and our Reputation and developing our Business sustainably, in that order.

We believe in the power of combining global insights with local expertise. In Việt Nam, we leverage global knowledge and resources to bring innovative solutions to patients locally, as well as collaborate with various stakeholders in order to meet specific healthcare needs in the country. Our approach ensures high-quality medicines and vaccines reach those who need them. Takeda aims to become a trusted biopharmaceutical company that makes a lasting impact on Việt Nam’s health and well-being now and in the future, through Takeda-ism and sustainable practices.

After more than a decade of presence and commitment to improving people’s health in some niche disease areas in Việt Nam, can you share some of the greatest achievements of Takeda?

Takeda is proud of its decade-long dedication to delivering innovative medicines and treatments to Vietnamese people. To us, ‘Access to Medicines’ is in fact an integrated business approach that is embedded in our values and integrated into our corporate strategy, which is reflected in activities within the countries we operate. We are also a strong believer in the values of public and private partnerships to co-create a more sustainable healthcare system that enhances patient access to effective and safe prevention and treatment options.

For instance, in Việt Nam, since 2021, we have partnered with the Ministry of Health, National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transmission and a number of hospitals and diagnostic centres in the management of rare diseases, providing better patient access to diagnosis hereditary angioedema (HAE) patients and locally based treatment for people with hemophilia. We also actively support programmes that address the unmet needs of patients with rare diseases, including plasma-derived therapies and innovative treatments for multiple myeloma and Hodgkin's lymphoma, to name a few. As an active member of Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and Pharma Group under EuroCham Vietnam, Takeda helps to bring innovative therapies and vaccines to Việt Nam and also facilitates cross-border exchanges and collaborations between medical communities in Việt Nam, Japan and other countries in the region.

These partnerships feature disease education programmes and public awareness activities which empower local healthcare professionals and the public with a greater understanding of diseases and healthcare options, enabling the development of crucial care guidelines for patients locally.

In May 2024, we marked another milestone as the Vietnamese Ministry of Health approved Takeda’s dengue vaccine, making it the first to be approved in the country, adding a new and innovative prevention method as part of an integrated prevention strategy in Việt Nam to combat the rising public health threat of dengue in the country.

Beyond our focus on medical advancements, Takeda is also passionate about fostering a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential. Our recognition as the Best Workplace in Asia 2022 by Great Place to Work reflects our dedication to investing in our people and fostering a unique thriving culture that matches the vibrant country. This commitment has been at the core of our operations globally for over 240 years since Takeda was founded.

Takeda's dengue vaccine manufacturing facility in Germany. — Photo Courtesy of Takeda

Takeda's dengue vaccine has just been approved by the Ministry of Health of Việt Nam. Why did Takeda, an enterprise with a strong focus on rare diseases, oncology, hematology, gastroenterology and plasma-derived therapies, set its foot into vaccine development for the mass population?

For 70 years, Takeda has supplied high quality and safe vaccines to help protect the health of the people of Japan. In recent years, we have been expanding this commitment globally to tackle some of the world's most challenging infectious diseases, including dengue, pandemic influenza, and COVID-19.

Dengue is a complex disease affecting nearly half of the global population, with recent severe outbreaks in Southeast Asia, including Việt Nam. There is an urgent need for an integrated strategy which covers existing surveillance and vector control measures, ongoing public education and communication, as well as vaccination to reduce the economic and health burden of dengue, as recommended by WHO. The recent approval of Takeda's dengue vaccine in Việt Nam marks a significant step toward sustainable and proactive dengue prevention, adding an important measure to existing integrated dengue prevention, management and control strategies.

Globally, Takeda is already known for its efforts in collaborating with various governments and sectors to make the dengue vaccine more accessible to the public. How about Việt Nam?

Takeda’s ultimate goal is to improve public health and deliver a safe and effective dengue vaccine that can help address the significant global burden of dengue. We have made important progress as we work to bring our dengue vaccine to people living in and travelling to endemic areas. To date, Takeda’s dengue vaccine has been approved in more than 40 countries, including the European Union, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Việt Nam.

In Việt Nam, Takeda is committed to making our dengue vaccine widely accessible across the country. We aim to ensure that people in remote areas and high-risk groups, especially low-income families, can access the vaccine quickly and effectively. Acknowledging the burden dengue places on public health and the economy, expanding vaccination coverage is critical to our strategy against infectious diseases. To achieve this, Takeda will continue to strengthen partnerships with local health authorities, academic institutions, research centres, and both public and private vaccination centres and partners.

Our goals include raising awareness and education about dengue and the importance of vaccination, advocating for sustainable dengue management policies and integrated strategies, and providing comprehensive training for healthcare professionals in vaccination practices. We are grateful for the trust and support from our partners and communities as we work to improve access to healthcare, ensure effective disease prevention measures, and enhance the quality of life for people in Việt Nam.

At the end of this September, Mr. Dion Warren and Dr. Derek Wallace, president of the Global Vaccine Business Unit (VBU), will be in Việt Nam. This marks the first visit by high-level global Takeda leaders to Viet Nam in the coming week, continuing Takeda’s series of activities and efforts to support the country in its dengue prevention journey.

During their visit, Dr. Derek Wallace and Mr. Dion Warren will spend time with Takeda's local team initiating the official launch of Takeda’s dengue vaccine in Việt Nam, following its approval by the Ministry of Health in May 2024. Takeda is currently the only manufacturer and importer of dengue vaccine to Việt Nam.