Takeda has a new "core country" in its sights: China, Bloomberg reports.
Here's what you should know:
1. Takeda is readying to launch seven new drugs in China in the next five years, more than it has planned for any other region.
2. Takeda CEO Christophe Weber is confident Takeda's Shire acquisition will earn Chinese government approval, despite concerns the government could delay issuing its approval in retaliation to recently passed U.S. tariffs.
3. He said, "There's no reason in the long- term China shouldn't be our second-biggest business in the world." Mr. Weber said Takeda is planning to launch drugs in the country at the same tempo as its other core markets.
4. To help accomplish this aim, Takeda securing reimbursement from China's insurance program.
5. Takeda's reasons for targeting China are clear. China's pharmaceutical market is second to the U.S. in size, with expenditures predicted to grow to $170 billion by 2021, according to the QuintilesIMS.