Strategic position Strengths
Sankyo has outlined a clear commitment to increasing its focus on its pharmaceuticals business. The restructuring of the company's non-pharmaceutical businesses has already resulted in the establishment of the crop protection and special merchandise divisions as separate companies, and has led to the amalgamation of the remaining businesses.
Sankyo is in a vulnerable position but its positive strategic responses to challenges that it faces is a major strength. The company's main sales driver, Mevalotin (pravastatin), is already threatened by generic competition in Japan, with generics expected to reach the US in 2006. A number of products that w...

Sankyo: Summary CHAPTER 2 As the second largest Japanese pharmaceutical company, Sankyo's pharmaceutical division reported a 5.2% increase in sales over the period 2001-02, up from S3,368m to $3,542m. This growth was driven by ethical sales, which rose by 6.1% and accounted for 74.3% of the company's total sales. As Sankyo's best selling product, Mevalotin accounted for 41.7% of sales in 2002 but generic competition entered the Japanese market in mid-2003. Generic pravastatin is expected to reach the US in 2006. Therapeutic expansion is a key part of Sankyo's strategy, with both in-house development and in-licensing broadening the company's focus into new areas, such as diabetes and ...

TAKEDA: TAK-375
ТАК-375 is a melatonin receptor agonist that is in phase III trials in the US and Europe and phase II development in Japan for the treatment of primary insomnia and circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Results from early stage trials suggest that TAK-375, under development by TPNA for chronic and transient insomnia, is a highly selective ML-1 receptor agonist. The ML-1 receptor is a key mediator of natural sleep and may be an important new target for sleep agents. According to the results of phase II trials presented in June 2003 at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, TAK-375 showed a statistically significant improvement in sleep paramet...

Takeda: Blopress (candesartan cilexetil) Candesartan cilexetil is an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) used in the treatment of hypertension. The compound was launched by Takeda in Europe in December 1997 as Ambias in the UK and as Blopress in Germany. Takeda and AstraZeneca co-market candesartan in the UK, Germany, France and Italy, while Takeda retains the rights for Japan and South East Asia.
Blopress, whose primary indication is for the treatment of hypertension, is expected to receive approval for a broader range of treatments related to cardiac failure. The drug is in phase 111 trials in Europe and the US and in registration in Japan for the additional indication of chronic...

Prevacid/Takepron (lansoprazole) Prcvacid, marketed in Japan by Takeda as Takepron, is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that is used in the treatment of peptic ulcers. It was launched in 1992 and is indicated for the short-term treatment of duodenal and gastric ulcers, and for the long-term treatment of hypersecretory conditions, as well as for the maintenance treatment of healed erosive esophagitis. Drugs in this class act directly to inhibit the action of the acid-producing pump within the stomach and are more potent than older H2 receptor antagonists. Lansoprazole is a second generation PPI and offers significant benefits over existing therapies, principally by exerting a greater effec...