Takeda Launches New Subsidiary in Ecuador

ZURICH, Switzerland, March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Demonstrates Takeda's long-term commitment to the Latin American market

Takeda Pharmaceuticals International GmbH ("Takeda"), today announced further expansion of its presence in Latin America with the launch of its wholly-owned subsidiary in Ecuador. Takeda Ecuador S.A. (Takeda Ecuador or "the Company") will be headquartered in Quito and will be responsible for the sales and marketing of Takeda's products in Ecuador.

Takeda is building a leading position in Latin America. It has a direct presence in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, and is looking at opportunities to further expand its footprint in the region. According to IMS Health, pharmaceutical sales in Latin America totaled US$ 74.5 billion in 2012 and are expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 8%* between 2012 and 2016. Takeda plans to outgrow the market over the same period.

Ecuador is a dynamic and growing market, driven by government investment and strong oil and mining industries. The country's GDP totalled more than US$ 70 billion in 2012 while pharmaceutical sales in amounted to US$1.27 billion and are expected to continue to grow by 10% during 2013*.  

In line with the Takeda's emerging markets strategy, Takeda Ecuador is building a product portfolio based on the medical needs of the population, focusing on gastroenterology, cardiology, metabolism, oncology and respiratory diseases. The Company will initially focus on Zurcal (pantoprazole), Faktu (Policresulen, Cinchocaine hydrochloride), Alevian Duo® (Pinaverium bromide, Dimeticone) and Tecta® (pantoprazole magnesium) and its gynaecology product, Albothyl (Policresulen), which Takeda repatriated following the Nycomed acquisition.

Takeda Ecuador plans to leverage its sales platform with a steady stream of product launches from its existing portfolio and R&D pipeline.

Carlos Haro has been appointed country manager for Ecuador. He joins the Company from Sanofi, where he was the General Manager for Ecuador. He will lead the start-up team which will grow steadily as the Company expands its portfolio and enters new therapeutic areas.

"The launch of our subsidiary in Ecuador reinforces Takeda's position in Latin America and will enable us to meet the diverse healthcare needs of the population. We have an established product portfolio, which will give us a strong starting point and we look forward to launching our novel medicines into the market," said Norbert Oppitz, Senior Vice President, Latin America, at Takeda "This investment further demonstrates our commitment to Latin America and its growth potential. We have ambitious plans in this region and we continue to evaluate opportunities to expand our footprint."

^*Data Source：© 2012 IMS Health. All rights reserved. Estimate based on Market Prognosis Global 2012-2016.  

About Takeda Pharmaceuticals International GmbH

Takeda Pharmaceuticals International GmbH, headquartered in Zurich, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. As the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and a leader in the global industry, Takeda's mission is to strive toward better health for patients worldwide through leading innovation in medicine. It has a commercial presence in around 70 countries, with particular strength in Asia, North America, Europe and fast-growing emerging markets including Latin America, Russia-CIS and China. Takeda is ranked 12th by global Rx sales, 14th in the BRIC countries and 18th in Europe. Areas of focus include cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, immunology and respiratory diseases, oncology and central nervous system diseases, among others. Through the integration of Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Nycomed, Takeda has been transforming itself, broadening its therapeutic expertise and geographic outreach.

Additional information about Takeda is available through its corporate website, http://www.takeda.com

This press release has been issued by Takeda Pharmaceuticals International GmbH, Thurgauerstrasse 130, CH-8152 Glattpark-Opfikon, Zurich, Switzerland.