Mr. Dion Warren, Area President for India-Southeast Asia (I-SEA) at Takeda, shared insights into Takeda’s journey in Vietnam, its contributions to community health, and the company’s future plans.
With the I-SEA pharmaceutical industry booming, how do you assess Vietnam’s position compared to other countries?
Compared to many other Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam is a rapidly developing nation with a fast-growing population and industrialization rate, leading to increasing healthcare demands. Climate change, infectious and non-communicable diseases further strain the healthcare system and burden Vietnamese citizens and families.
While Vietnam has made significant strides in healthcare, there is still room for improvement and unmet needs. Meeting these challenges and creating change requires strategic domestic and international collaboration to share expertise, raise awareness, improve diagnostics, and reduce barriers to patient access to essential and advanced medicines. With our global expertise in biopharmaceuticals, Takeda is committed to partnering with Vietnam’s healthcare sector, including private and state-owned entities, to address these challenges and improve quality of life through advanced and sustainable healthcare solutions.
What sets Takeda apart in the Vietnamese market?
One of Takeda’s differentiating factors is our philosophy of “Takeda-ism,” encompassing core values of Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance. These values guide all our decisions, with a clear priority: putting patients first, building trust, and fostering corporate reputation and sustainable growth.
We believe in combining global expertise with local strengths. In Vietnam, we leverage our global resources to bring novel solutions while collaborating with local partners to address community healthcare needs. This ensures that high-quality medicines and vaccines reach those who need them. Our aim is to be a trusted pharmaceutical company, positively impacting the health of the Vietnamese people through our Takeda-ism philosophy and sustainable practices.
Can you highlight Takeda’s notable achievements after more than a decade in Vietnam?
Takeda is proud to bring advanced therapies to the people of Vietnam. We view improving access to medicines as integral to our business strategy and value public-private partnerships in building a sustainable healthcare system that enables patients to access effective treatments.
Since 2021, we’ve collaborated with the Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, and multiple hospitals to manage rare diseases. This has improved diagnostics for patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) and expanded treatment access at local healthcare facilities for those with hemophilia. We also provide plasma-derived therapies for multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Mr. Dion Warren at the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony with the Ministry of Health on rare diseases
As an active member of the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and Pharma Group under EuroCham (European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam), Takeda has facilitated bringing advanced vaccines and treatments to Vietnam while fostering international collaboration between healthcare communities in Vietnam, Japan, and other regional countries. This partnership includes educational programs on disease awareness and community engagement, enhancing local healthcare professionals’ and public understanding of diseases and healthcare options, ultimately leading to holistic patient care guidelines and improved quality of life.
In May 2024, we achieved a significant milestone with the approval of our dengue vaccine by the Ministry of Health. This novel, sustainable solution complements the national dengue prevention and control strategy, safeguarding the health of the Vietnamese people.
Beyond healthcare achievements, Takeda prioritizes creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. The “Best Workplace in Asia” award in 2022 by Great Place to Work attests to our commitment to investing in our people and fostering a work culture aligned with Vietnam’s development spirit.
Why is Takeda, renowned for its cancer, rare genetic and hematology, neurology, and gastroenterology therapies, investing in dengue vaccine development?
Takeda has seven decades of experience in providing safe, high-quality vaccines to protect community health in Japan. In recent years, we’ve extended this commitment globally to combat serious infectious diseases like dengue, COVID-19, and influenza.
Dengue is a complex disease affecting nearly half of the world’s population, with severe outbreaks in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. Climate change and urbanization make dengue harder to control, resulting in significant economic and health burdens. While vector control and mosquito bite prevention are crucial, the WHO recommends an integrated strategy that includes surveillance, vector control, community engagement, and vaccination to minimize the disease’s impact in an increasingly dangerous epidemic context.
The approval of Takeda’s dengue vaccine in Vietnam marks a significant step in our efforts and contributes to the overall dengue control strategy, sustainably safeguarding community health.
What is Takeda’s strategy to bring the dengue vaccine closer to the Vietnamese people?
Takeda aims to improve community health by manufacturing and supplying safe and effective dengue vaccines to reduce the global burden of this disease. We’ve made significant progress in delivering this vaccine to affected areas. To date, our vaccine has been approved in over 40 countries, including the European Union, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Inside Takeda’s vaccine manufacturing facility in Germany
In Vietnam, we are committed to ensuring that the vaccine will be gradually available nationwide in the coming years, including in remote areas and for low-income families. Increasing dengue vaccination rates is a top priority in Takeda’s infectious disease prevention strategy, especially as dengue imposes a heavy burden on the country’s healthcare and economic systems.
To achieve this goal, we will continue collaborating with healthcare authorities, universities, research institutes, partners, and public and private vaccination centers. We also aim to raise awareness and educate about dengue, promote comprehensive and sustainable dengue management strategies, and provide training programs for healthcare professionals on safe vaccination practices.
Takeda sincerely appreciates the trust and support from our partners and the community in our joint efforts to improve access to effective healthcare solutions and enhance the quality of life for the Vietnamese people.
In late September 2024, Mr. Dion Warren, along with Dr. Derek Wallace, Global President of Vaccines at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Global Dengue Leader, will visit and work in Vietnam. This is the first visit by Takeda’s global leaders to Vietnam, continuing the company’s series of activities and efforts to accompany the country in the fight against dengue.
During this visit, Mr. Dion Warren and Dr. Derek Wallace will dedicate time to support the official launch of Takeda’s dengue vaccine in the Vietnamese market after the vaccine was licensed by the Ministry of Health in May 2024. Currently, Takeda is the leading manufacturer and importer of dengue preventive vaccines in Vietnam.
