March 26, 2012

Ajinomoto Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited Ajinomoto Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. and Takeda Submit Application for
a Once-Monthly Formulation of Risedronate Sodium Hydrate
for the Treatment of Osteoporosis in Japan

Osaka and Tokyo Japan, March 26, 2012 --- Ajinomoto Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Representative Director, President & CEO: Tomoyasu Toyoda, "Ajinomoto Pharmaceuticals") and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Osaka, President and CEO: Yasuchika Hasegawa, "Takeda") jointly announced today that both parties submitted applications for a once-monthly formulation of risedronate sodium hydrate for the treatment of osteoporosis to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan.

Risedronate sodium hydrate is a bisphosphonate agent inhibiting bone resorption, which is currently approved and used for the treatment of osteoporosis in about 100 countries. In Japan, a once-daily and a once-weekly formulations were launched in 2002 and 2007 respectively.* A once-monthly formulation of risedronate sodium hydrate was already approved and marketed since 2008 in many countries outside Japan.

With the less frequent administration than a once-daily or a once-weekly formulation, a once-monthly formulation is expected to improve adherence** in patients. If approved, risedronate sodium hydrate will become the only bisphosphonate antiosteoporotic agent with 3 oral formulations, once-daily, once-weekly and once-monthly, in Japan. A variety of formulations will provide a wide range of choices for healthcare providers and enable them to select the formulation that best suits patients' lifestyle.



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This press release was issued by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and was initially posted at http://www.takeda.com/press/article_45276.html . It was distributed, unedited and unaltered, by noodls on 2012-03-26 08:10:32 AM. The issuer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the information contained therein.