Japanese Pharma Companies Speed Up Mergers And Acquisitions In Growing Biopharmaceutical Arena
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Major Japanese pharmaceutical companies have been in an uphill battle to develop new drugs, and as the biopharmaceutical industry captures attention, they are increasingly turning to mergers and acquisitions overseas with leading international biopharmaceutical companies. Eisai bought an American biopharma venture for ¥430 billion. Last year, Takeda set up an antibody research facility in San Francisco, where many of America's biopharma companies are concentrated. On Feb. 4, Takeda announced a buyout of Amgen's wholly-owned business unit in Japan. Through the purchase, Takeda obtained licensing rights for the sole development and marketing of 13 new drugs in Japan, including cancer drug AMG706 (motesanib) and other antibody drugs. It is expected that the buyout will speed up Takeda's presence in this growing area. (Click for more-Japanese language