Takeda expands R&D budget, may look for buyout

Japan's Takeda plans to significantly raise the amount of money it is investing in R&D, according to a report in a Japanese newspaper. The drug developer says it will spend 20 percent of its revenue from drug sales, or about $8.6 billion, on research over the next five years. And it will consider an acquisition to help boost its pipeline. New drug candidates are essential for Takeda, which is facing the loss of patents for drugs that supply 60 percent of its revenue. Takeda recently shuttered development of a new compound to replace Actos for diabetes.

- read the report [1] from MarketWatch on Takeda's plans