Europe accounts for a substantial share of Takeda’s business, hosts a significant slice of the company’s manufacturing footprint, and is involved in around half of its late-stage trials and priority development programmes. As the group prepares potential launches in narcolepsy, psoriasis and polycythaemia vera, a rare blood cancer, Gamze Yuceland explains how patient insight, evidence generation, digital capabilities and a more predictable environment for innovation are shaping Takeda’s European priorities.
How has your international career shaped your perspective and priorities as you take on the leadership of Takeda in Europe?
I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work across very different markets and parts of the world. I started my journey in Türkiye, where I am from, and eventually became country manager for Takeda before moving to Canada. I then moved to the US, where I led our Gastroenterology Business Unit, and later to Singapore, where I managed our Growth & Emerging Markets business. Now, returning to Europe, I can draw on experience across very different healthcare systems, cultures and ecosystems, as well as the perspectives of the many people I have worked with along the way. One of my strongest learnings from that journey is that diversity is much more than a word. Diversity and inclusion bring real strength, and my aim is to bring together what I have learned from these different environments while continuing to learn in this new role.
Looking at Europe with fresh eyes, I have been impressed by the depth of its scientific expertise, research and development, and manufacturing capabilities, as well as the richness of talent across the region. Europe also has tremendous diversity, with different languages, healthcare systems and approaches to patient access, and it has been particularly striking to see the considerable variation in access timelines for innovative medicines across different healthcare systems. Rather than seeing this complexity as a surprise, I see an opportunity to bring together Europe’s diversity, talent and scientific expertise more effectively.
At the same time, I believe competitiveness, innovation and access have never been more important for Europe. If we can bring these strengths together, there is a real opportunity for the region. For me, however, everything starts with patients, which has been a constant wherever I have worked. What I am most passionate about is translating Takeda’s science into meaningful impact on patient outcomes, and although I am still at the beginning of my journey in this role, that principle will remain at the centre of how I approach it.
What is Europe’s strategic importance to Takeda, and where do you see the main opportunities for growth?
Europe is much more than a geographical region for us. It is a strategic hub and critically important to Takeda’s future, combining significant commercial scale with manufacturing capabilities and deep scientific expertise. We have 11 manufacturing sites across the region, while Europe also plays an important role in our research and development. In fiscal year 2025, Takeda invested JPY 675.9 billion in R&D, and around 50 percent of our late-stage trials and priority development programmes involve Europe. This means that Europe is not only an important commercial market for us, but also a strategic contributor to the science and development that will shape Takeda’s future.
From a portfolio perspective, gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases remain important areas for us, alongside neuroscience, oncology, plasma-derived therapies and rare diseases, including haematology. These are areas where Takeda has established capabilities and remains strongly committed, while we are also entering an important new phase as our portfolio evolves and we prepare for the next generation of potential launches. Growth across Europe is relatively broad-based, and although our markets differ significantly in size, healthcare systems and access environments, I would not single out one country or group of countries. We see opportunities across our European markets rather than growth being concentrated in only a few of them.
How are you preparing the European organisation for Takeda’s next generation of potential launches?
We are truly excited about the innovation we are preparing to bring across three areas: narcolepsy, psoriasis and polycythaemia vera, a rare blood cancer. Our pipeline reflects a balanced approach, with a combination of late-stage clinical programmes progressing through Phase 3 and regulatory pathways, alongside earlier-stage research exploring new approaches. We are advancing clinical research in areas such as sleep disorders, dermatology, and rare haematological conditions, where there remains a significant unmet need. Our clinical programmes aim to evaluate novel scientific approaches, deepen understanding of disease pathways, and generate data to inform future treatment strategies.
As I mentioned, everything starts with patients, so a major part of our preparation is understanding their needs and journeys in much greater depth. In narcolepsy, for example, we are looking closely at insights from the European Narcolepsy Alliance for Patients (eNAP) and its patient survey, which gives us a deeper understanding of what living with narcolepsy means day to day, including the impact on employment, daily functioning and quality of life.
Understanding the patient journey is one part of the equation, while ensuring timely access to innovation is another. That means looking closely at regulatory efficiency, pricing and reimbursement frameworks across Europe and, crucially, working in partnership with the wider healthcare ecosystem. Partnering is fundamental to our philosophy at Takeda because we believe it is the only way we can deliver what we want to deliver for patients. This means working with patient organisations, healthcare professionals, policymakers and healthcare communities to understand their perspectives and find solutions together. As we prepare for these potential launches, bringing together patient insights, timely access and strong partnerships will therefore be central to our approach.
What role will evidence generation and digital capabilities play in preparing for this next phase?
Evidence generation and real-world evidence are important parts of how we are preparing for the future. One example is the Health Outcomes Observatory (H2O), a European public-private initiative that Takeda helped lead to integrate patient-reported outcomes more systematically into healthcare. By giving patients digital tools to report their experiences and outcomes in a standardised way while remaining in control of their data, H2O can strengthen discussions between patients and healthcare professionals and generate real-world evidence to support clinical care, research and broader healthcare decision-making.
We are also developing our internal digital and artificial intelligence capabilities while recognising that partnerships will be essential in this area as well. Takeda is part of SEARCH, the Synthetic Healthcare Data Governance Hub, an Innovative Health Initiative project focused on developing approaches for the generation, validation and responsible use of synthetic healthcare data, particularly for AI applications, while protecting patient privacy and ensuring appropriate ethical and regulatory governance. Alongside these partnerships, we are bringing digital technologies into our day-to-day work and developing the capabilities of our people so that we can adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Initiatives such as H2O and SEARCH illustrate how we can combine our internal clinical, scientific and data expertise with external capabilities to advance the responsible use of data and digital technologies in healthcare.
How is the changing policy environment affecting the conditions for innovation and patient access in Europe?
We are monitoring changes in the external environment very closely. Policy frameworks are evolving, but what matters most to us is maintaining predictability, because a predictable environment supports innovation, attracts investment and enables patient access. As we navigate these changes, that is the principle we want to preserve and the foundation for continuing to bring innovation to patients across Europe.
As an industry, we believe doing nothing is not an option. Europe needs to keep strengthening its competitiveness by creating the right conditions for research, development, manufacturing, and adoption of innovative medicines. Just as important, sustainable access also depends on health system decision-makers recognising the value of therapies and making informed choices about how to support patient access and health system resilience. When policymakers take informed decisions and adopt policies that improve competitiveness, they create a positive environment for patient access and for a life sciences industry that can thrive. The proposed EU Biotech Act is an opportunity to further strengthen Europe’s Competitiveness and innovation leadership by shortening timelines for clinical trials and strengthening Europe’s Intellectual Property provisions. Europe’s life sciences competitiveness also depends on fairly rewarding innovation and creating faster, more predictable routes from discovery to patient access. Ireland’s recently agreed Framework Agreement on the Pricing and Supply of Medicines illustrates how shared ambition and close collaboration between Government and industry can support both innovation and public benefit. As part of EFPIA’s Europe’s Choice campaign, Takeda supports efforts to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and create the conditions needed to accelerate patient access to innovation. The Irish Framework Agreement provides a practical example of how collaboration between government and industry can help advance these shared goals. Achieving this more broadly requires continued partnership among healthcare systems, policymakers, regulators, industry and patient organisations.
Europe has world-class science and capabilities, but we need the right environment to continue attracting investment, supporting innovation and ensuring that new medicines reach patients in a timely way. For us, strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and improving patient access go hand in hand.
Where does Europe fit within Takeda’s global research and development ambitions?
Europe combines world-class scientific expertise, experienced investigators, strong healthcare systems, patient registries and close collaboration with patient advocacy groups. These advantages make it one of the world’s most attractive environments for clinical research and a leading region for patient recruitment.
Europe provides a strong R&D infrastructure and plays an important role in advancing clinical development and patient recruitment. R&D activity across the region spans Takeda’s therapeutic areas, supporting the generation of high-quality evidence and helping accelerate patient access to innovative medicines. Europe is also a key clinical development hub for Takeda.
Our R&D teams are looking closely at these opportunities while continuing to strengthen partnerships with leading scientific and clinical experts across Europe. We already have a strong foundation, with around 50 percent of our late-stage trials and priority development programmes involving the region, which reflects the important role Europe plays in Takeda’s clinical development.
What makes Europe especially relevant is the combination of scientific depth, clinical expertise and an increasingly sophisticated research environment. Alongside clinical development, we are also exploring how data, digital technologies and patient-reported outcomes can support better healthcare and decision-making. Taken together, these capabilities reinforce Europe’s broader contribution to innovation and its importance to Takeda’s R&D ambitions.
What is your philosophy on developing talent and fostering diversity in leadership?
Takeda’s approach to leadership and talent development is something I have experienced personally throughout my time here, and I think our recent leadership transition is a strong reflection of that. I am genuinely excited about Julie Kim becoming our CEO, above all because of the skills and strong leadership she brings, although I am also proud that she is one of the relatively few women leading a major pharmaceutical company. Her appointment speaks to the strength of Takeda’s talent pipeline and reflects our commitment to developing talent and fostering diversity. Having spent more than 11 years at Takeda, I am personally very grateful for the opportunities and support I have received throughout my own journey, and for the chance I have had to continue developing within the organisation.
My philosophy is that two things need to come together. Organisations need to create opportunities, provide support and build an environment where people can grow, but I also believe that development is first and foremost our own responsibility. We need to invest the time and energy, remain committed to learning and prepare ourselves to make the most of the opportunities we receive. This is the approach I try to bring to my team: giving people the support and opportunities they need while encouraging them to take ownership of their own development.
What has kept you at Takeda for more than 11 years, and what distinguishes its culture for you?
I would start with our purpose, because that is what attracted me to Takeda in the first place. Everything starts with patients, and that commitment has remained at the heart of Takeda throughout our 245-year heritage, dating back to our founding in Japan in 1781. Putting patients first is not simply something we say, but something we live and feel across the organisation. Having worked with Julie personally, I have seen how she brings together different perspectives, people and backgrounds while consistently keeping patients at the centre of decision-making, which gives me confidence that this commitment will remain fundamental as Takeda enters its next era.
There is also a strong culture of caring for each other, for our people and for the environment, alongside a desire to keep improving every day. We want to continue developing ourselves and doing better, while never losing sight of why that matters: patients are waiting for the medicines and innovation we can bring them. It is this combination of purpose, care and continuous improvement that has kept me enthusiastic about being part of Takeda.
Where would you like to take Takeda Europe over the next two to three years, and what would success look like?
Everything will continue to start with patients, with a deep understanding of their needs and a commitment to keeping those needs at the centre of our decisions. I also want us to make the most of Europe’s diversity by creating an environment where we can learn from one another across different markets, cultures and healthcare systems. I believe Europe has a real opportunity to strengthen its competitiveness and bring more innovation to patients, and I want Takeda to contribute to that progress by continuing to build partnerships, maintain open dialogue and work together with the broader healthcare ecosystem to find solutions.
Internally, people will remain at the heart of my priorities. I want to create an environment where our people can realise their potential, continue to develop and thrive, while benefiting from the diversity of perspectives we have across Europe. Over the next few years, success will mean bringing these elements together: putting patients first, strengthening our partnerships, contributing to Europe’s competitiveness and, importantly, successfully bringing the next wave of innovation to patients across the region.
