Japan's Fujisawa Divests Non-Core Products

Japanese drugmaker Fujisawa, which is scheduled to merge with Yamanouchi April 1, has agreed to divest a number of key products worth some JPY800mn (US$7.63mn). The companies to acquire the various product lines will include Japanese generics maker Choseido, Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals and Teikoku Medix.

On the date of the merger, Choseido will acquire Epocelin, an ethical suppository formulation of cephalosporin with annual sales revenue of some JPY100mn (US$0.95mn). Kobayashi will acquire three ethical products currently marketed by Fujisawa, with combined annual revenues of roughly JPY200mn (US$1.91mn). The products are vitamin B1 product Neuvita (octotiamine), injectable cardiac diuretic Digilanogen C (deslanoside) and the antispasmodic Padrin (prifinium bromide). Meanwhile, Teikoku will acquire seven products worth roughly JPY500mn (US$4.77mn) in the anti-inflammatory, central nervous system, alimentary, respiratory and antifungal therapeutic segments.