Corporate History

A Half Century of Technical Development and Trust

[1963-]

1963
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. established; Yukio Kobayashi appointed as president and representative director
  • Capital increased to ¥100 million
  • A representative from each of the 49 distributors nationwide assumes the position of Board Member
1964
  • In-house production plant established in Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture
  • Nine new offices established throughout Japan, centered around the head office in Tokyo, as sales bases
1965
  • Capital increased from ¥100 million to ¥200 million
1969
  • License with the Soviet Union to introduce Futraful in Japan
1971
  • Lyophilized formulation plant (seventh plant) completed in the Imagire Industrial Park in Tokushima

[1973-]

1974
  • Proprietary Medicine Division established
1975
  • Advertising strategy (TV ads) started for Tiovita Drink
1976
  • Business alliance formed with Nichiban Co., Ltd., with equity participation by Taiho Pharmaceutical
1977
  • Employee welfare facility Otsuka Amagi Mountain Villa completed
1978
  • Business alliance formed with Kotai Kasei Co., Ltd., with equity participation by Taiho Pharmaceutical
  • GMP-compliant injection drug plant completed within the Tokushima Plant; full plant integration also completed
1979
  • Advertising strategy (TV ads) started for Solmack
1980
  • GLP-compliant Development Laboratory and Safety Laboratory completed in Tokushima

[1983-]

1985
  • 100% Taiho-financed Kotai Kasei head office plant completed; Kodama Laboratory set up on the plant premises
1986
  • Head office moved to new building in Kanda, Chiyodaku, Tokyo
  • State-of-the-art factory automation plant completed at Tokushima Plant
1987
  • Synphar Laboratory established in Alberta, Canada
  • 25th Anniversary Ceremony held in Tokyo and Tokushima
  • Akihiko Otsuka becomes chairman and representative director
1989
  • Formulation Research Laboratory completed
1990
  • Drug Discovery Center, Seminar and Training Center, and Computer Center completed in Saitama
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical purchases equity and participates in management of Shinsen Iyaku Co., Ltd.
1991
  • Okayama Plant completed
1992
  • 30th Anniversary Ceremony held in Tokyo
  • Name of Shinsen Iyaku Co., Ltd. changed to Okayama Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
  • President Yukio Kobayashi awarded honorary doctorate by the University of Alberta in Canada
  • Kotai Kasei changed name to Taiho Fine Chemical

[1993-]

1994
  • President Yukio Kobayashi awarded Japan's prestigious Medal with Yellow Ribbon
1995
  • Taiho Fine Chemical merges with Taiho Pharmaceutical and starts operating as Saitama Plant
  • President Yukio Kobayashi awarded the GreenDex Award by the Republic of Latvia
1996
  • Collaborative research agreement signed for breast cancer therapeutics with SRI International (US)
1997
  • Japanese and international GMP-compliant plant for new investigational drugs opens
  • Clinical Research USA Office established in New York
1998
  • Collaborative research and development agreement for angiogenesis inhibitor signed with Sugen, Inc. (U.S.A.)
1999
  • Yukio Kobayashi, president and representative director of Taiho Pharmaceutical, becomes president and representative director of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
2000
  • President Yukio Kobayashi becomes advisor to Otsuka Pharmaceutical
2001
  • Yukio Kobayashi becomes chairman and representative director of Taiho Pharmaceutical
  • Toru Usami becomes president and representative director of Taiho Pharmaceutical
2002
  • Company History published in commemoration of the 40th Anniversary
  • Taiho Pharma U.S.A., Inc. (now Taiho Oncology, Inc.) established in New Jersey in the U.S.

[2003-]

2003
  • Marketing approval for TS-1 obtained in South Korea
  • Inuyama Plant in Aichi Prefecture starts operations
2004
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical signs a licensing agreement for new antiemetic palonosetron with Helsinn Healthcare SA (Switzerland)
  • Collaboration agreement in oncology signed with the University of Tokushima
2005
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical signs a licensing agreement for anticancer agent Abraxane with American BioSciences Inc.
2007
  • Annex to the head office completed
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical holds a ceremony for the 45th anniversary of its founding in Tokyo
  • Tenth plant newly established to manufacture anticancer granules and investigational drugs
2008
  • Otsuka Holdings established
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical of Beijing Co., Ltd., established
2009
  • Marketing approval for TS-1 obtained in China
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical and PharmaMar (Spain) enter into a license agreement on anticancer agent, trabectedin
  • Taiho History Museum completed at the Tokushima Plant
  • Marketing approval obtained in Singapore for TS-ONE (TS-1)
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical acquires Tsukuba Research Institute from Banyu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
2010
  • Marketing approval for TS-1 obtained in Taiwan
2011
  • TS-1 approved in the EU as a treatment for advanced gastric cancer
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical signs a licensing agreement on a new antiemetic combination agent with Helsinn Healthcare S.A.
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical signs a distribution agreement with MSD K.K. for the anticancer agent vorinostat in Japan
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical signs a co-development and commercialization agreement with Nordic Group BV for Teysuno in Europe
  • Taiho Pharma Singapore Pte. Ltd. (now TAIHO PHARMA ASIA PACIFIC PTE. LTD.) Established
2012
  • Marketing of Teysuno begins in Europe
  • Masayuki Kobayashi becomes president and representative director
  • License agreement for anti-allergy drug bilastine signed with Spain-based Faes Farma S.A.

[2013-]

2013
  • Kitajima Plant completed in Tokushima Prefecture
  • Agreement signed on transfer of Astellas' fermentation research-related assets to Taiho
2014
  • Name of US-based subsidiary changed from Taiho Pharma U.S.A., Inc. to Taiho Oncology, Inc.
2015
  • Approval obtained from the U.S. FDA for the anticancer drug LONSURF (TAS-102) as a treatment for refractory metastatic colorectal cancer
  • Marketing approval for TS-ONE obtained in Myanmar
2016
  • Tiovita 3000 launched in Hong Kong
  • Approval for LONSURF obtained in Europe
  • TAIHO VENTURES, LLC established in California in the U.S.
  • CTM Building (clinical trial materials manufacturing facility) completed at the Kitajima Plant
  • TAIHO PHARMA CANADA, INC. established in Canada
2017
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical Concludes Option and License Agreement with Arcus Biosciences
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical Acquires Marketing Approval for LONSURF in Hong Kong and Taiwan
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical Signs a Co-promotion Agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K. for Guselkumab, a Human Anti-interleukin (IL)-23 Monoclonal Antibody, in Japan
2018
  • HP building (Highly Potent Pharmaceutical Ingredients) Completed at Saitama Site
  • Approval for LONSURF obtained in Canada
2019
  • Taiho Innovations, LLC, established in Japan
  • Participated in READYFOR SDGs, Using Crowd Funding to Support Organizations Addressing Issues in the Field of Oncology
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Targets Earn Science Based Targets (SBT) Initiative Certification
  • Awarded gold prize at the Cancer Ally Awards 2019
2022
  • Taiho Pharmaceutical and Cullinan Oncology Announce Strategic Collaboration to Jointly Develop and Commercialize CLN-081/TAS6417 and Taiho’s Acquisition of Cullinan Pearl
  • U.S. FDA Approves FGFR Inhibitor, Futibatinib for the Treatment of Previously Treated, Unresectable, Locally Advanced or Metastatic Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma