Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.’s Thousand Oaks facility hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on July 22, celebrating the $126 million expansion of the facility’s manufacturing capabilities.The Tokyo-headquartered company’s facility is a vertically integrated bioprocessing plant that specializes in manufacturing products to increase the quality of life for those with rare diseases.About two years in the making, the $126 million expansion aims to strengthen manufacturing operations. It includes a renovation of about 15,000 square feet of existing space and the addition of another 15,000 square feet of manufacturing space.The expansion will bring new products that the Takeda facility currently doesn’t manufacture.New technologies and staff development are also products of the expansion. Stephen Hatke, the Thousand Oaks site head and vice president of manufacturing operations, said Takeda will work with staff to develop the new technologies through virtual reality training.In association with the expansion project, Takeda will make major investments regarding its environmental impact. The company will attempt to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2025 and looks to become carbon neutral by 2040.
According to Hatke, the Thousand Oaks site will contribute to the environmental goal by eventually completing a large solar project.
“To know that we can provide solar power to generate electricity for 40 percent of such an enormous amount of areas of production is significant,” Hatke said.Takeda announced July 20 that it agreed to supply Japan with an additional 50 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, following an earlier agreement for Takeda to deliver 50 million doses of the vaccine.
$126 Million Expansion
