Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. is close to selling some assets in emerging markets and Western Europe, people familiar with the matter said, in a move that would help the Japanese drugmaker reduce its debt pile.
Takeda may announce the sale of over-the-counter and prescription drugs in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Russia and Asia within weeks, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. A sale of the drugs, which Takeda acquired through its 2011 purchase of Swiss rival Nycomed, could fetch about $3 billion in total, Bloomberg News first reported in January.
The company may decide to sell the products to different buyers by geography, the people said. Acino International AG, backed by buyout firms Nordic Capital and Avista Capital Partners, and Stada Arzneimittel AG, owned by Cinven and Bain Capital, are among bidders for different assets, the people said. Other companies that have shown an interest in some of the assets include Brazil's EMS SA and Uniao Quimica Farmaceutica Nacional SA, the people said.