Japanese drugmaker Shionogi (TYO: 4507) is to scale up its pipeline and global ambitions with a deal worth more than $1 billion, buying the pharmaceutical operations of Japan Tobacco, including its US subsidiary Akros Pharma.
The agreement, announced Wednesday, will also see Shionogi acquire full control of Torii Pharmaceutical, which is currently majority-owned by Japan Tobacco. The Osaka-based group will spend around 150 billion yen ($1.05 billion) in total, including roughly 70 billion yen for Japan Tobacco’s 55% stake in Torii.
As part of the transaction, Shionogi will absorb Japan Tobacco’s domestic pharma operations and acquire New Jersey-based Akros Pharma through its US subsidiary, Shionogi Inc. A tender offer for Torii’s remaining shares will follow, with the aim of turning it into a wholly owned unit.
This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.
Login to your accountTry before you buy
7 day trial access
Become a subscriber
Or £77 per month
The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed
Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2025 | Headless Content Management with Blaze