Japan’s Sawai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., (Sawai) has completed the acquisition (of the generics business of US company Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC (Upsher-Smith).

According to Sawai, it is the leading provider of generics to the Japanese market and has several manufacturing plants throughout the country. Sawai’s portfolio includes nearly 700 prescription drug products, including cardiovascular drugs, antihyperlipidemic agents, diabetes drugs, anticancer drugs and OTC drugs.

Upsher-Smith is a US-base generic drug manufacturer that has been in operation for nearly 100 years. Like Sawai, its philosophy, according to the company, is to always put patients first.

The acquisition of Upsher-Smith gives Sawai an enhanced position in the US market. Sawai will maintain the acquired facilities in Minnesota and Colorado. The extensive portfolio of high-value generics offered by Upsher-Smith gives Sawai an opportunity for growth in the US market. Rusty Field will take on the role of CEO in addition to his current position as President of Upsher-Smith.

“This acquisition brings together two closely-aligned companies with similar values. Sawai is one of the largest generic pharmaceutical companies in Japan and Upsher-Smith has an established portfolio of generic products in the United States. This deal represents an energizing growth opportunity for the generics business both in the U.S. and abroad,” said Field.

Mitsuo Sawai, President of Sawai Pharmaceutical Company noted that “The acquisition of Upsher-Smith adds significantly to our capabilities and supports the acceleration of our vision of becoming a globally recognized generic drug company. Upsher-Smith’s manufacturing and commercial strength, strong distribution network and established relationships combined with Sawai’s research and development capabilities and state-of-the-art manufacturing technology provide the opportunity to further enhance our ability to bring high-quality, high-value generic pharmaceutical products to patients both in Japan and the United States.”