Takeda to Produce Innovative Drug for Multiple Myeloma Patients in Yaroslavl, Russia

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced the opening of a production site for NINLARO (ixazomib), an innovative drug for patients with multiple myeloma, at its Yaroslavl plant. The move takes the Company’s total investment in local Russian manufacturing and production of the product to RUR477mln.

NINLARO, which is part of Takeda’s global portfolio of innovative medicines, is indicated in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone for multiple myeloma patients who have previously received at least one line of therapy. NINLARO, which has orphan drug status, was first registered in Russia in 2017, and was made available to patients locally in 2018.

“Takeda Russia celebrates 25 years of operations this year. Throughout these years we have always sought to increase the availability of innovative drugs and new treatments for local people. I am proud that in this, our silver jubilee year, we have brought an innovative medicine to Russian patients with multiple myeloma, and also began its production at our Yaroslavl plant,” commented Andrey Potapov, General Director of Takeda Russia & Area Head Takeda Russia-CIS. “Yaroslavl will become only the second production site for ixazomib in the world. Critically, local production will better help meet the unmet medical needs of patients in Russia and, as we will also be able to export ixazomib produced at this facility, patients in CIS countries.”

Andrei Obruchnikov, Commercial and Logistics Director, Takeda Russia said: “We started work on transferring the production of ixazomib in 2015 and as early as the fourth quarter of the year, plan to start full cycle production. That means that even more patients will be able to access this innovative, high quality treatment.”

Dmitry Koloda, Medical Director, Takeda Russia-CIS said: “The main goal for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma are to achieve the maximum possible clinical response with long-term disease control, while maintaining patient quality of life. Ixazomib in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone, is the first fully oral triplet therapy that allows patients to receive out-patient treatment, which also reduces the burden on doctors in hospitals and allows patients to continue to lead an active life.”

Multiple myeloma is an incurable disease and accounts for 1% of all malignant tumors, and 13% of instances of hemoblastosis (cancers of hematopoietic and lymphatic tissues). The disease incidence of multiple myeloma in Russia is 2.0 cases per 100,000 people, and has a mortality rate is 4.1 cases per 100,000 people, per year. The average age of patients in Russia with multiple myeloma is 64 years.