Zurich, Switzerland, July 2026 — Takeda has appointed Luana Banu as Head of International Public Policy, expanding her leadership responsibilities within the global biopharmaceutical company. In her new role, Luana will lead Takeda’s international public policy agenda across its International Business Unit (IBU) while continuing to oversee policy for the company’s Plasma-Derived Therapies business. Her appointment underscores Takeda’s commitment to strengthening its global policy engagement, fostering collaboration with healthcare stakeholders, and advancing patient-centered healthcare policies across international markets.
Luana has been an integral part of Takeda’s global leadership team, holding a succession of increasingly influential positions over the past several years. Most recently, she served as Head of Global Public Affairs and Patient Advocacy – Plasma-Derived Therapies, where she led global policy, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement strategies supporting one of the company’s key therapeutic businesses. Prior to that, she was Head of Public Policy, Communications and Patient Advocacy for Takeda Europe and Canada, overseeing public policy development, external communications, and patient advocacy initiatives across multiple markets. Earlier, she served as Head of Public Policy and Communications, Europe and Canada, strengthening the company’s engagement with policymakers, industry partners, and healthcare organizations. Before these roles, Luana was Global Head of Public Affairs for Takeda’s Plasma-Derived Therapies Business Unit, where she played a central role in shaping policy strategies and strengthening stakeholder partnerships globally.
Beyond her executive responsibilities at Takeda, Luana has also contributed significantly to the broader life sciences industry through influential leadership positions in major industry associations. She served as Chair of the Orphan Medicinal Products Working Group at the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), where she helped shape policy discussions around rare disease medicines and patient access. She also served as a Board Member of EuropaBio – the European Association for Bioindustries, supporting initiatives to advance biotechnology innovation and improve healthcare outcomes across Europe.
Before joining Takeda, Luana held several senior public affairs leadership roles at Shire, including Head of International Public Affairs, Head of Public Affairs and Patient Advocacy – Europe & EAMEA, and Public Affairs Lead, where she led international government affairs, patient advocacy, and policy engagement strategies. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly six years with Novartis International, progressing through roles as Manager International Public Affairs, Senior Manager International Government and Public Affairs, and Director, Country Strategic Support. At Novartis, she provided strategic policy guidance across emerging markets, developed government affairs strategies, led stakeholder engagement initiatives, managed international policy monitoring, and supported senior leadership through policy analysis, executive communications, and capacity-building programmes.
Luana’s earlier professional experience includes roles with Navigant Consulting as Senior Consultant, Heartland Alliance as Associate Director of Grants Management, Hope Clinic International as Volunteer Grants Manager, Eli Lilly as a Visiting Scholar, and the Center for Nations in Transition as a Graduate Research Assistant. These diverse experiences provided her with a strong foundation in public policy, healthcare systems, international development, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communications, shaping a career dedicated to improving healthcare access and public health outcomes.
With more than 20 years of international leadership experience, Luana has established herself as one of the pharmaceutical industry’s leading experts in public policy, government affairs, patient advocacy, healthcare communications, and stakeholder engagement. Her appointment as Head of International Public Policy reflects Takeda’s confidence in her ability to lead complex global policy initiatives, strengthen relationships with governments and industry partners, and support the company’s mission of delivering better health and a brighter future for patients worldwide.
About Takeda
Takeda is a global, values-based, research and development-driven biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming lives through science and innovation. With a heritage spanning more than 240 years, the company focuses on discovering and delivering life-changing medicines across key therapeutic areas, including oncology, rare diseases, neuroscience, gastroenterology, plasma-derived therapies, and vaccines.
Guided by its core values of Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance, Takeda places patients at the center of everything it does. By combining scientific innovation with deep collaboration across healthcare ecosystems, the company works to improve patient outcomes, expand access to medicines, and build more sustainable healthcare systems around the world.
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