Takeda doubles down at California site as it looks to grow rare disease manufacturing base
On July 29, 2021, Endpoints News reported- Japanese drugmaker Takeda is looking to ramp up the efficiency of its rare diseases manufacturing, which includes programs for hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease. It will turn to a California location it’s familiar with to bring its operations into the future.
Takeda will more than double the size of its Thousand Oaks, CA manufacturing site in an upgrade that will use automation, robotics and digitization to reduce the potential for human error, the company said in a release.
The site, which currently is encompasses around 14,000 square feet, will get another 15,000-square-foot building next door and an upgrade to the existing facility. The $126 million investment will help Takeda grow its portfolio of treatments for rare diseases.
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Employees will be able to learn how to use the new technology through virtual reality before commercial production begins, speeding up the learning process, Takeda said.
“We are proud that this project will increase our capacity to provide patients with the medicines they rely on,” head of quality Michael Bohane said in a video announcement of the groundbreaking. “And through a spirit of innovation and continuous improvement, the Thousand Oaks team will help Takeda deliver these treatments more efficiently.
Developers broke ground on the project on July 22. The announcement aligns with the site’s 25 anniversary.
Haider Alawami, the economic development manager for Thousand Oaks, told the Pacific Coast Business Times the deal was a win-win for both the city and the company. Takeda has been in Thousand Oaks since 1996, and the site employs around 550 people.
“This is a significant expansion of their manufacturing facilities in the city and with the money they invested, that is going to generate a lot of interest and activity in the area in addition to the jobs that are going to be created,” Alawami told the outlet.
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