Deals
Whisky and Apologies Aided Takeda's $62 Billion Shire Gamble
- A leak before Easter almost brought process to premature end
- Takeda was named Yamazaki, Shire as Hibiki in secret talks
The Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. logo is displayed outside the company's Osaka plant in Osaka, Japan.
Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.’s ambitions for expansion in the lucrative U.S. health-care market led the Japanese drugmaker to begin a painstaking examination of Shire Plc’s assets more than two years prior to striking a $62 billion deal.
In particular, Shire’s neuroscience unit and its gastrointestinal products sparked Takeda’s interest. One hurdle, though, gave them pause: The steep purchase price.