Rajeev Venkayya, Takeda’s longtime vaccines chief, departs to lead a stealth pandemic-focused biotech
Rajeev Venkayya, the longtime head of Takeda’s vaccine unit, is stepping down to become CEO of a new company “focused on combating COVID-19 and future pandemic threats,” Takeda announced Thursday.
Gary Dubin, an executive in the same division, will replace him.
The move comes as the more intensive stretches of Takeda’s Covid-19 work wind down. Although the Japanese pharma didn’t develop its own vaccine, it contracted to help produce both Moderna and Novavax’s shots for the country and other markets. Japan approved the Takeda-manufactured Moderna shot in May and, in December, Takeda finally submitted their version of the Novavax shot for approval.
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