Better Together Our Aspiration to Cure Cancer

Author: Teresa Bitetti, President, Global Oncology Business Unit

Curing cancer is an enormous task. And, like any difficult task, it will take the involvement of many individuals to accomplish. At Takeda Oncology, we’ve uniquely designed our team to remain agile and move with an everchanging, dynamic industry. And what I’ve found integral to our progress and critical to our success are three key components, which I believe can apply to many organizations:

1. Structure a team unique to your goals

The Oncology Business Unit (OBU) at Takeda functions as a separate group within our company. This gives us the resources and dependability of a large pharma company and a structure that allows us to move with the speed and agility of a biotech—allowing us to blend the best of biotech and large pharma experiences. We move with the science, and this has yielded a robust pipeline that is sharply focused on harnessing the body’s innate immune system to fight cancer.

The strength of our pipeline and the first-in-class modalities we’re investigating would also not be possible without the diversity of our team. We value different cultures, backgrounds, interests and experiences because varying perspectives have proven vital in developing and launching new therapies. While a diverse team and unique internal structure is critical, it’s important that our external partners align with our organizational goals as well.

2. Establish the right partnerships

Our unique structure within a large global organization gives us flexibility in how we develop meaningful partnerships with other companies and organizations. For Takeda Oncology, we are always looking for partners who we can help, and who can help us, as we go forward together with a shared aspiration to cure cancer. Our partners represent the best in cutting-edge science and innovative advancements, and through our collaboration on new mechanisms and promising platforms, we’re working to develop a best-in-class oncology pipeline. Our progress to date would not be possible without a broad range of research and development partners such as Presage Biosciences or our successful ‘build-to-buy’ collaborations with Adaptate Biotherapeutics, GammaDelta Therapeutics, and Maverick Therapeutics.

Nonetheless, it takes more than scientific discovery to cure cancer. We need to learn more about the patient experience from the patients themselves, and we need to do all we can to ensure that patients around the globe have access to our innovative treatments. This is why we partner with many patient organizations, which you can learn more about here.

3. Be willing to reinvent yourself and grow

The biggest brands in the world—Apple, Netflix, National Geographic—have leveraged emerging technology to revolutionize the way they operate and advance as businesses. The healthcare industry should be approached with the same frame of mind; we must be willing to change and evolve as technology advances and patient needs change.

Such evolution is core to who we are at Takeda Oncology. Our oncology business used to be significantly smaller than today, with a portfolio primarily focused on hematologic malignancies, or blood cancers. Now, we also have several solid tumor therapies and have established a robust pipeline focused on leveraging the innate immune system to attack cancer. This progress has positioned us to develop more treatment options for patients who have difficult-to-treat cancers. We’re proud to have grown through thoughtful, strategic partnerships and a deep understanding of the ever-evolving oncology landscape.

Cancer is a clever and difficult opponent. At Takeda, we know we cannot defeat it on our own and must continue to work in agile and innovative ways, seek partners who share our goals, and evolve as needed to meet patient needs and thrive in a dynamic landscape. It is this unique village, comprised of internal and external partners, all working toward the same goals, that will equip us best to cure cancer.

Learn more about partnering with Takeda.