Takeda Pharmaceutical has announced its global oncology business unit, headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., now will be called Takeda Oncology. The creation of Takeda Oncology will improve the company's ability to meet the unique and urgent needs of cancer patients, their loved ones and health care providers worldwide. Takeda will sustain its long-standing entrepreneurial approach to oncology R&D, while expanding its global commercial network and resources as Takeda Oncology.

Takeda is retiring the Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company brand, replacing it with Takeda Oncology to reflect the new global oncology business unit.

Comprised of Takeda's global oncology commercial operations, the Oncology Business Unit remains closely aligned with Takeda's dedicated global oncology R&D function, the Oncology Therapeutic Area Unit and Takeda's Oncology Drug Discovery Unit to together drive forward the company's portfolio of products while maintaining a focus on expanding new product launches in the near and longer terms.

As a fully integrated unit within Takeda's global network, the Oncology Business Unit will leverage expertise from diverse oncology markets to help accelerate global and local capabilities, ensure continued understanding of evolving patient needs and drive the oncology business worldwide.

"Less than two years ago, Takeda reorganized R&D within oncology to provide an expanded, global reach while maintaining focus and dedicated resources to our therapeutic area. As a result, our R&D infrastructure across Takeda in oncology, which is focused on innovative products, is the strongest and most integrated it has ever been," said Michael Vasconcelles, M.D., head, Oncology Therapeutic Area Unit, Takeda.

Christopher Claiborne, Ph.D., head, Oncology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda, said, "In working toward our aspiration to cure cancer, our singular focus has been on the discovery and development of breakthrough medicines for cancer patients, particularly for those battling forms of the disease that have not traditionally been the focus of oncology R&D. Now, with a more robust global network and resources, we are optimally positioned to leverage all scientific and clinical platforms and tools at our disposal to quickly identify new targets and develop compounds for cancer patients around the world."

Takeda's legacy in oncology extends more than 25 years, and includes a range of paradigm-changing therapies for hematologic cancers and solid tumors. Today, the company is investigating compounds across more than 17 forms of cancer, including ixazomib in AL amyloidosis and multiple myeloma as well as alisertib in relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma, recurrent ovarian cancer and small cell lung cancer, among other malignancies.