Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. has entered an agreement to acquire Shire plc in a transaction valued at $62 billion. The transaction has been approved by both companies’ boards of directors and is expected to close in 1H19. Upon closing, Takeda shareholders will own approximately 50 percent of the combined group.
 
The acquisition will provide Takeda with an expanded geographic footprint and greater scale with broader access to U.S. and European markets. The combined firms will become a top 10 pharma company with combined sales of approximately $30 billion.
 
Together the companies have complementary portfolios in gastroenterology and neuroscience as well as creates leading positions in rare diseases and plasma-derived therapies to complement strength in oncology and focused efforts in vaccines.
 
“Since its inception, Takeda has transformed into an agile, R&D-driven global pharmaceutical company that is well-positioned to deliver innovative and transformative care to patients around the world,” said Christophe Weber, president and chief executive officer of Takeda. “Shire’s highly complementary product portfolio and pipeline, as well as experienced employees, will accelerate our transformation for a stronger Takeda. Together, we will be a leader in providing targeted treatments in gastroenterology, neuroscience, oncology, rare diseases and plasma-derived therapies. We are looking forward to the benefits this combination will bring to patients worldwide, the opportunities it will bring for our employees and the returns it will deliver for our shareholders.”
 
Flemming Ornskov, chief executive officer of Shire, said, “I would like to thank the entire Shire team for all that we have accomplished over the last five years to transform Shire into a leading rare disease biotech company and a tenacious champion for patients in need. I am confident that this relentless focus will enable us to continue delivering against our priorities throughout this process. With a truly innovative portfolio and pipeline, I believe that the combination of the two companies is in the best interests of shareholders and offers an opportunity to improve the lives of even more patients globally with rare and highly specialized conditions.”