ZURICH, Switzerland, December 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Demonstrates Takeda's commitment to bring new, innovative treatments to patients

Takeda Pharmaceuticals International GmbH ("Takeda") today announced further expansion of its commercial platform with the establishment of its wholly-owned subsidiary in Israel. Together with Algeria, Ecuador, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, Israel is the sixth sales entity Takeda has opened this year to reinforce its platform in growth markets.

Takeda Israel LTD will be headquartered in the Tel Aviv area and will be responsible for the sales and marketing of selected products from Takeda's portfolio and pipeline, with an initial focus on oncology. Takeda Israel will also seek local partners with complementary portfolios, through which to launch additional proven medicines from its current portfolio. Through its established network of local partners, Takeda products currently sold in Israel are Actos® (pioglitazone), Atacand® (candesartan), Contoloc® (pantoprazole), Lucrin® (leuroprelin), Xefo® (lornoxicam), Mepact® (mifamurtide) and other treatments in various therapeutic areas.

Israel is a highly developed pharma market with a universal healthcare system that values innovative medicines. The National Health Insurance constantly expands its list of reimbursable products, having dedicated more than a third of its additional funds over the last ten years to cancer treatment*. According to Business Monitor International, pharmaceutical sales in Israel totaled US$ 1.5 billion in 2012 and are expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 6%* between 2013 and 2017, driven by population growth and an increased need for specialty treatments. Takeda plans to outgrow the market over the same period.

Arie Kramer has been appointed Country Manager for Israel. He joins from AbbVie Biopharma, where he headed Finance and Strategic Commercial Planning. Previously he had served as General Manager, Chief Financial Officer and Operations Manager at Novartis Consumer Health in Israel.

"There is a growing demand for specialty treatments in Israel," said Arie Kramer, Country manager Takeda Israel. "The establishment of our subsidiary demonstrates our commitment to bringing innovative new medicines to patients and will enable us to address some of the country's current unmet healthcare needs."

Patients are at the center of Takeda's approach to R&D and the Company has one of the richest and deepest pipelines in the industry today.

Takeda is a global pharmaceutical company based in Japan that is poised to meet the challenges of the constantly evolving pharmaceutical market. For more than 230 years, Takeda has been committed to serving the global community through healthcare solutions from prevention to care to cure. Takeda is the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and the 15^th largest in the world, with approximately 30,000 employees in 70 countries. The Company's mission is to strive toward better health for people worldwide through leading innovation in medicine.

^[*]Data Source: Data on file - Ministry of Health approved technologies list for National Health Basket - 2012

About Takeda Pharmaceuticals International GmbH

Headquartered in Zurich as a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Osaka, Japan, the company has a commercial presence covering more than 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 15^th by global Rx sales, 14^th in the BRIC countries and 18^th in Europe Areas of focus include cardiovascular and metabolic, oncology, respiratory and immunology, central nervous system, general medicine, and vaccines.

Takeda is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. As the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and one of the global leaders of the industry, Takeda is committed to strive towards better health for people worldwide through leading innovation in medicine. 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.

SOURCE Takeda Pharmaceuticals International GmbH