Takeda appoints Andrey Potapov as area head for ICMEA

Japan-headquartered drug firm Takeda Pharmaceutical Tuesday said it has appointment Andrey Potapov as area head for India, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East including Turkey and Africa, (ICMEA). Potapov's appointment follows Takeda's recent acquisition of Shire Pharmaceuticals. He will be instrumental in guiding the successful integration of Takeda and Shire under the Takeda brand, the company said in a statement.

The acquisition and subsequent integration will see Takeda evolve its operational focus from the NEMEA region (Near East, Middle East and Africa) to ICMEA, it added. In his most recent role as General Manager of Takeda Russia and Head of the CIS Area, Potapov oversaw the successful launch of new pharmaceutical products, while delivering above market profit growth for the past five years, the statement said.

"Now is a great time to be heading up Takeda's regional operations as we look ahead to the integration of Shire into our business and the many opportunities, this will bring to better serve patients," Potapov said.