Takeda to invest €300 million in plasma-derived therapy production

Investing close to €300 million, Takeda plans to construct a new state-of-the-art production facility for plasma-derived therapies and a net-zero carbon emissions warehouse in Lessines, Belgium – the largest investment Takeda has ever made in the country.

The investment is part of the company’s global effort to implement the most innovative technologies and most sustainable processes at its manufacturing sites. The announcement was made during the 50th anniversary celebration at the plant.

The Lessines plant has been producing plasma-derived therapies since its inception. They are used for the treatment of patients with complex diseases, such as primary or acquired immunodeficiencies, or rare diseases like hereditary angioedema and bleeding disorders. People with these conditions may require lifesaving treatment for acute emergencies, as well as lifelong substitution therapy.

The plant is specialised in the purification and filling of plasma-derived therapies, with packaging capabilities for a variety of plasma treatments.

“Takeda is building on an 80 plus year pioneering legacy in producing plasma-derived therapies. The global patient need for these therapies, particularly immunoglobulins (IG), has increased significantly over the last 20 years, and continues to grow. The projects announced today will enable us to potentially help tens of thousands more people who have no – or very few – treatment alternatives. This investment reinforces Takeda’s leadership in plasma and our commitment to patients with life-threatening and life-changing conditions,” commented Giles Platford, President Plasma-Derived Therapies at Takeda.

Dr Thomas Wozniewski, Global Manufacturing and Supply Officer, added: “For 50 years, this site has been transforming human plasma into life-saving and life-sustaining medicines. Our Lessines site is an important part of our global manufacturing network. The significant investment in Lessines announced today will strengthen the digitalisation of our manufacturing sites where innovation plays a key role in creating a sustainable production environment.

“The new state-of-the art production facility will have an even higher output capacity and will be even more data and digital driven. Furthermore, we pay additional attention to minimise its environmental footprint at the site: thanks to a high-tech water recycling system we will be able to reduce the freshwater consumption by 90 percent by 2023, and the facility will be 100 percent self-sufficient in electricity.”  

Geoffrey Pot, General Manager Operations, Takeda Lessines site and President of Bio.be/essenscia, also commented: “We have a bold and ambitious plan at Takeda in Lessines. We aim to become a net-zero carbon emissions operation by 2030 and have a clear focus on further digitalisation. In addition to the investment in our production capacity, we also invest in the development and training of our employees to keep them abreast of the latest scientific, technical and digital evolutions. To achieve this, we are working closely with the highly qualified Belgian biotech ecosystem of universities, biotech federations and training centers, like Aptaskill, and, as of 2025, the EU Biotech Campus in Gosselies. I am really excited about this announcement today, as it will allow us to serve more patients, in a better way.”