Takeda Launches New Subsidiary in Ecuador

Zurich, Switzerland (ots/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(R) (Pinaverium bromide, Dimeticone) and
Tecta(R) (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?(c) 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.

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