Takeda calls for more Plasma Donations During International Plasma Awareness Week
Takeda marks International Plasma Awareness Week by emphasizing the urgent need for strategies to increase plasma donations
- Plasma is a crucial component in many life-transforming treatments and Takeda in Lessines has been specializing in this field for over 50 years.
- With demand for plasma-based therapies on the rise, Belgium faces an insufficient supply and currently relies on imports to cover more than half of its needs for treating the growing number of patients.
- During International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW), from 6 to 10 October, Takeda joins the global community in calling on all stakeholders to adopt proven strategies to increase plasma donations in Belgium and worldwide.
Lessines, Belgium, October 7, 2025 – As International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW) is taking place from 6 to 10 October, Takeda (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) joins the global community in highlighting the vital role of human plasma in developing life-transforming medicines—and the urgent need to increase plasma donations in Belgium and around the world. “Without plasma, there can be no treatment for a range of diseases—and without donors, there is no plasma,” says Bruno Rabilier, General Manager of Takeda Belgium.
Plasma – the straw-colored liquid portion of blood – cannot be manufactured synthetically and must be donated. It contains essential components such as immunoglobulins, clotting factors, and albumin, which play critical roles in the immune system and other vital functions. Immunoglobulins, for example, help strengthen immune responses, reduce inflammation, and protect against infections. These proteins are indispensable in the treatment of rare and chronic conditions and can also support patients recovering from chemotherapy.
“Plasma donation is a vital lifeline for people living with rare diseases. Global demand for plasma-derived therapies has risen sharply over the past 20 years and continues to grow. On average, it can take up to 12 months for a single plasma donation to be transformed into finished medicines—and the number of donations required is immense. Treating a single patient with certain rare and serious conditions can require over a hundred to several thousand donations each year, depending on their specific medical needs1. These figures underscore both the extraordinary value of every single donation and the scale of the challenge in meeting patient needs.” explains Thierry Pestiaux, Site Head Lessines, Takeda.
Today, only five countries in the world provide almost 90% of the plasma needed globally. One of these countries is the USA and only four EU countries—Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary—collect plasma at scale, offering donor compensation to offset time and inconvenience2. Even this capacity falls short of Europe’s growing demand.
Belgium is no exception. Between 2010 and 2024, the use of immunoglobulins in Belgium rose by more than 150 percent, according to data from the Flemish Red Cross3. Today, over 25,000 Belgian patients rely on plasma-derived therapies each year—including more than 8,000 who depend specifically on immunoglobulins, a number that continues to grow.
Despite this rising demand, more than half of the plasma used to produce these therapies in Belgium is imported, primarily from the USA. This dependency exposes the country to risks such as supply disruptions.
“In Belgium, many people still don’t realize that plasma donation is not the same as blood donation,” explains Thierry Pestiaux . “Plasma can be donated every two weeks, up to 23 times a year, which is significantly more frequent than blood. This makes it a powerful way for individuals to contribute regularly to saving lives. However, because plasma collection requires specialized equipment, it is only possible by appointment at designated Red Cross centers.”
“Each country may need its own approach to scale up donations,” adds Bruno Rabilier. “But we urge policymakers to adopt proven strategies that increase plasma donation volumes—even beyond national needs. By contributing to the global supply, we address a major public health challenge collectively.”
About Takeda
Takeda is focused on creating better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We aim to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments in our core therapeutic and business areas, including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines. Together with our partners, we aim to improve the patient experience and advance a new frontier of treatment options through our dynamic and diverse pipeline. As a leading values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, we are guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Our employees in approximately 80 countries and regions are driven by our purpose and are grounded in the values that have defined us for more than two centuries. For more information, visit www.takeda.com.
About the global production site at Lessines
Takeda in Lessines has 1,200 employees, from 23 nationalities, which are dedicated to delivering products on time and with the highest level of quality to - currently - over 250,000 patients in 80 countries worldwide per year. The site’s purpose is to serve patients with rare diseases and other special conditions. It is a Centre of Excellence for the purification of immunoglobulins, with filling and packaging capacity for plasma-derived therapies and packaging capacity for hematology products that reach patients in more than 80 countries. For more information, visit www.takeda.be.
Media Contacts:
Véronique Goethals
Lessines Site Communications Head
Mobile: +32 496 442 286
Alicia Waterkeyn
Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Belgium
Mobile: +32 476 70 44 08
References
- Source: PPTA. Rare Diseases: Importance of Plasma Donation - PPTA
- Peter Jaworski, Bloody Well Pay Them, 2020, P.6
Source: Rode Kruis-Vlaanderen
C-ANPROM/BE/CORP/0089 – October 2025