Access to Market Vital to Success

Q: Where does Mexico fit in Takeda’s transformation into a global company?

A: Mexico is among the top 10 countries for Takeda and it is extremely relevant to the company’s growth and global strategy. Gastro is Takeda’s most significant product line, making it a leader in Mexico. It is also building its oncology portfolio but market access is vital to the company’s success. We have recently launched two products in this area, with two more in development. OTC products are an important element to our strategy, For diabetes we have a hypertension drug and a DPP-4 inhibitor because one in two diabetic patients suffer from hypertension. In Mexico, ferranin is a market leader and accounts for more than 20 percent of Takeda’s revenue stream.

The company’s main social responsibility program focuses on anemia, with 54,000 units of ferranin administered to over 40,000 Mexican children. Selling or licensing other specialty portfolios is also part of Takeda’s strategy, which was recently achieved with three main respiratory products awarded to AstraZeneca. Considering vaccines are part of our global core business, we are working with Univercells to introduce new vaccines to the Mexican market, such as a new dengue vaccine undergoing clinical phases II and III. The key stakeholders in the vaccine industry are the WHO, PAHO and the government. We expect to develop our vaccine unit in the mid to long term, while focusing on the GOODX strategy in the short and midterm.

Q: How has the culture of Takeda changed as part of the process to become a company with global operations and standards?

A: Transforming a company’s culture and incorporating new sets of values and beliefs takes between three to five years. Every decision we make must improve the life quality of our customers. Putting patients at the center of any pharmaceutical operation is no easy task as physicians are considered direct clients for pharmaceutical firms but physicians now serve as strategic allies. As we cannot directly talk to patients our collaboration with physicians is that much more valuable to us.

Q: How does the fragmentation of the healthcare system affect your strategy of putting patients at the center?

A: We must seek better collaboration considering public institutions cover 90 percent of Mexico’s population. The Mexican system consists of many institutions, each with different policies and processes. We are building a solid structure to adapt to each institution and to proactively accelerate our processes, which results in timely and efficient product availability for patients. This is a good time for the private market, which can be seen by the number of investors coming to Mexico. According to Business Monitor, Mexico is the third safest country to invest in Latin America, behind Chile and Uruguay. Although these countries are more stable their market size is smaller. In addition, Mexico’s GDP will continue to grow by 2-3 percent in following years, making it the best private market to invest in.

Q: How are you collaborating with public institutions to improve market access so that more patients can benefit from your new medicines?

A: We should not only be a supplier to the government but allies and business partners focusing on the health of patients. Access to medicines plays a critical role in putting patients at the center of the healthcare system. We are developing new and unique risk-sharing models. This approach will help us collaborate and benefit larger volumes of patients with innovative medicines. Considering our products are directed to niche market segments from catastrophic diseases, we must cover them through any institution, which cannot happen without full alignment with the government.

Q: What do you want to achieve in 2016?

A: We are committed to launching six innovative products over the next three years, which includes a first class drug for multiple myeloma, a medicine for hyperuricemia and a complement for our diabetes line. Takeda will be a largely recognized company in Mexico, not only for its sales but also for its positive impact on both patients and society. We will receive the Great Place to Work certification by 2020, as well as the inclusion in Mexico’s top 100 ranking. We are building a brighter future for our stakeholders and patients.