Annapurna Das Taking Over Takeda’s GM Position in India

The company highlighted Annapurna's leadership in sales, marketing, corporate strategy, and business development in the pharmaceutical and vaccine industries.

Takeda Biopharmaceuticals, a Japan-headquartered pharmaceutical firm, has named Annapurna Das the general manager for its India operations to bolster its standing in the country's healthcare sector.

Annapurna Das brings over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry across India and Southeast Asia. Before joining Takeda, she held key leadership roles at multinational healthcare companies, including Miltenyi Biotec, Sanofi, GSK, MSD, Pfizer, and Organon.

The company highlighted Annapurna's leadership in sales, marketing, corporate strategy, and business development in the pharmaceutical and vaccine industries.

Focus on Patient Access & Collaboration

In her new role, Das will lead Takeda's efforts to ensure patient access to its medicines and vaccines in India. She will also work on fostering collaborations to support the growth of the domestic healthcare and pharmaceutical market.

"I am honored to be entrusted with this responsibility by Takeda. India is crucial for us given its diverse population and significant healthcare challenges. We are committed to serving patients in India by providing them with greater access to our medicines and vaccines," the new GM said.

Dion Warren, area head, India and Southeast Asia at Takeda noted Das’ focus on patient-centric strategies. He said, "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 aim to positively impact patients’ lives with innovative healthcare solutions and partnerships," Warren added.

He also emphasized Takeda's goal of positively impacting patients’ lives through innovative healthcare solutions and partnerships to enhance access to medicines and vaccines.

Takeda’s Recent Initiatives

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company recently partnered with Hyderabad-based Biological E. to combat dengue fever globally. The collaboration focuses on producing Takeda's dengue vaccine, TAK-003, within India, aligning with the World Health Organization's target of zero case-fatality rate due to dengue by 2030.

Under this partnership, Biological E. will bolster its production capacity to manufacture up to 50 million doses of the dengue vaccine annually. This concerted effort aims to expedite Takeda's goal of producing 100 million doses annually within the next decade.

Additionally, Takeda and Swiss company AC Immune SA recently entered into a license agreement for AC Immune’s active immunotherapies targeting toxic forms of amyloid beta (Abeta), including ACI-24.060, aimed at treating Alzheimer’s disease.

ACI-24.060 is an anti-Abeta active immunotherapy candidate designed to prompt a robust antibody response against the toxic forms of Abeta, which are believed to drive plaque formation and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Reportedly, the treatment holds promise in inducing plaque clearance and effectively inhibiting plaque formation in the brain, potentially delaying or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.