LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Britain’s AstraZeneca has agreed to buy Takeda Pharmaceutical’s respiratory business, including expanded rights to roflumilast, a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
AstraZeneca, which has marketed roflumilast in the United States under the name Daliresp since the first quarter of 2015, said it would pay $575 million for the business.
“Full acquisition of the global rights will support AstraZeneca’s respiratory franchise and complement the company’s portfolio of treatments for severe COPD,” the company said.
Annual global sales of the three core medicines acquired, excluding sales of Daliresp in the US, were $198 million for the period ending in March 2015, AstraZeneca said. (Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Kate Holton)
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