Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TPC), a full-fledged oncology pharmaceutical company headquartered in Tokyo, announced on May 10 that it has established Taiho Ventures, LLC, a strategic corporate venture capital arm of TPC, in California, USA.

Taiho Ventures will be investing globally in the start-up companies that discover and develop innovative therapeutic products and/or drug-enabling platform technologies that demonstrate a clear potential to benefit cancer patients. With the support of Taiho's established expertise in the field of oncology product discovery and development, Taiho Ventures will provide financial resources and company outreach to build strategic alliances to help translate novel research and high-potential drug candidates into cornerstone products. Initially, Taiho Ventures will make investments from the pooled amount of US$50million.

In June 2014, TPC committed to invest US$30million in Remiges BioPharma Fund and through Remiges' well-connected U.S.-Japan cross-border investment team, Taiho has been tapping into the U.S./Europe biotech start-up community to catalyze the company's R&D. Establishing Taiho Ventures demonstrates our continuous commitment to create long-term relationships with external partners globally with the goal to bring novel cancer therapies to patients and redefine the way the world treats cancer.

Taiho Ventures is a wholly owned subsidiary of Taiho Oncology, Inc.

Taiho Ventures Overview

Company Name:  Taiho Ventures, LLC

President:  Sakae Asanuma

Head Office Location:  California, US

Established:  April 15, 2016

Business:  Venture capital

Investment Scale:  US$ 50million

Therapeutic Area of Investment:  Oncology

Geographic Area of Investment:  Globally with focus in U.S., Europe and Japan

About Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Japan)

Taiho Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd., is an R&D-driven specialty pharma focusing on the three fields of oncology, allergies and immunology, and urology. Its corporate philosophy takes the form of a pledge: "We strive to improve human health and contribute to a society enriched by smiles." In the field of oncology in particular, Taiho Pharmaceutical is known as a leading company in Japan for developing innovative medicines for the treatment of cancer. In areas other than oncology as well, the company creates quality products that effectively treat medical conditions. Always putting customers first, Taiho Pharmaceutical also aims to offer over-the-counter medicinal products that support people's efforts to lead fulfilling and rewarding lives.

For more information about Taiho Pharmaceutical, please visit http://www.taiho.co.jp/english/

About Taiho Oncology, Inc. (U.S.)

Taiho Oncology, Inc., a subsidiary of Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd., has established a world-class clinical development and commercialization organization that works urgently to develop innovative cancer treatments and to expeditiously bring them to patients in need in the U.S. Taiho has an exciting, in-house discovered, oncology pipeline consisting of both novel antimetabolic agents and selectively targeted agents. Advanced technology, dedicated researchers, and state-of-the-art facilities are helping us to define the way the world treats cancer. It's our work; it's our passion; it's our legacy.

For more information about Taiho Oncology, please visit: http://www.taihooncology.com

About Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. (Japan)

The Otsuka Group is a global organization of 178 healthcare companies with nearly 47,000 employees (including unconsolidated subsidiaries). Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. is the Group's holding company. The Group operates in 28 countries and regions, conducting diversified businesses in four segments, all connected by a focus on health: pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, consumer products, and others.

The Group's corporate philosophy of "Otsuka people creating new products for better health worldwide" is supported by the corporate ethic of "JISSHO (Proof through Execution) and SOZOSEI (Creativity)." The Otsuka Group thus seeks to foster a culture and vitality appropriate to an enterprise involved with human health and to create innovative products that contribute to the health and wellness of people worldwide.

For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.otsuka.com/en/