Shionogi Of Japan Plans U.S. Focus On Metabolic Syndrome
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Japan's Shionogi acquired U.S.-based Sciele Pharma last year to give the Japanese firm a way to market its metabolic syndrome products, Shionogi President Isao Teshirogi says. He said his company wants to move away from its focus on antibiotics and give more emphasis to its medicines such as Crestor (rosuvastatin), marketed by AstraZeneca outside of Japan. Although Shionogi expects to continue to rely on Crestor as a major revenue source, the company faces a need for other sources of profit when the drug loses patent protection beginning in 2016. Teshirogi said the Sciele acquisition gives Shionogi a chance to use the U.S. firm's 800 medical representatives to sell an obesity drug it is developing. (Click here for more - a subscription may be required