Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Abbott have entered into an agreement to conclude their TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc. (TAP) joint venture. The companies expect the transaction to close within 30-60 days.

Under terms of the agreement, the companies will evenly divide the value of the joint venture. Abbott receives rights to the oncology treatment, Lupron, including the commercial organization supporting that franchise, and will receive payments based on TAP's other current and certain future products. Takeda receives the rights to the product Prevacid, all the remaining TAP commercial and support organizations, and the rights to TAP's pipeline.

Abbott expects the transaction to be neutral to 2008 earnings per share. Takeda expects that this agreement will have no impact to its consolidated financial results for the current fiscal year.

The TAP joint venture was created by Takeda and Abbott in 1977 and has been one of the most successful joint ventures in the history of American business. In 2007, TAP had revenues of $3.1 billion from its two currently marketed products, Prevacid and Lupron. Additionally, TAP has two new drug applications under review at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"I want to take this opportunity to thank our partners at Abbott and the many people who helped make TAP a successful company in its more than 30 years of existence," said Yasuchika Hasegawa, president, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. "With this agreement Takeda combines two successful organizations and creates a top 15 pharmaceutical company with more than 5,000 employees in the United States. This size and talent base creates a tremendous platform for continued growth in the world's largest pharmaceutical market, which plays a significant role in Takeda's ongoing global growth."

"Takeda and Abbott have shared in the commercial success of TAP for many years," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott. "Now we have the opportunity to make a strategic change that equally splits the assets in a way that will benefit both Abbott and Takeda in the future. For Abbott, the addition of Lupron establishes an on-market presence in oncology where we have a number of promising compounds advancing through our pipeline."

Following the completion of the transaction, Takeda plans to integrate TAP into two of its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiaries, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. and Takeda Global Research and Development Center, Inc. The Lupron franchise will become part of Abbott's US pharmaceutical business.

TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc., located in Lake Forest, Ill., is a joint venture between Abbott, headquartered in Abbott Park, Ill., and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, of Osaka, Japan. TAP markets Prevacid (lansoprazole) and Lupron Depot (leuprolide acetate for depot suspension).

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs 68,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Takeda, located in Osaka, Japan, is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. As the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and one of the global leaders in the industry, Takeda is committed to striving toward better health for individuals and progress in medicine by developing superior pharmaceutical products.