BRIEF—Takeda clears another hurdle in pursuit of Shire

Pharma major Takeda Pharmaceutical Company today says it has received unconditional clearance from the Japan Fair Trade Commission for the proposed acquisition of Ireland-headquartered rare disease specialist Shire that was announced on May 8, 2018.

The receipt of antitrust clearance in Japan is another significant step towards closing the transaction.

In addition to Japan, the acquisition has now received unconditional clearances from regulatory authorities in multiple key jurisdictions, including the United States, China and Brazil, among others.

“We are very pleased to have received unconditional clearance from the Japan Fair Trade Commission for our proposed acquisition of Shire,” said Christophe Weber, president and chief executive of Takeda.

“Takeda is proud of its Japanese heritage, and we are looking forward to building on this heritage as a combined company to continue delivering highly-innovative medicines that are transformative to patients in Japan and around the world,” he added.

The acquisition remains subject to certain other conditions, including receipt of the remaining regulatory clearances and approval by the shareholders of both companies.