* Group has around half a year to gain support to block deal
* Owns 1 pct of shares, needs one third of shareholders toblock
* Previous defeated proposal gained 30.5 pct of votes lastyear
* Group includes members of founding Takeda family - media(Adds quotes)
By Sam Nussey
TOKYO, June 11 (Reuters) - A group of Takeda PharmaceuticalCo Ltd shareholders is trying to build support to blockthe $62 billion acquisition of London-listed Shire Plcat an extraordinary general meeting, a leading member of thegroup told Reuters on Monday.
Takeda will hold the shareholder meeting later this year orearly next year to approve an issue of new stock to help fundthe Shire deal, making it a de facto vote on the deal itself.
The 130 member group formed by ex-Takeda employees holds onepercent of the drugmaker's shares, and needs to secure a thirdof shareholder votes.
It is "working steadily to increase support" for blockingthe deal among domestic retail investors and overseasinstitutional investors who own 25 percent and 35 percent ofTakeda shares respectively, the person said on condition ofanonymity.
The group includes members of the founding Takeda family,Nikkan Yakugyo reported last month. The family owns about 10percent of Takeda shares, people familiar with the matter toldReuters.
Last year, the same group attempted to prevent theappointment of outgoing Chairman Yasuchika Hasegawa to anadvisory position at the company. Although the proposal wasdefeated at the company's annual general meeting, it gained 30.5percent of votes.
The group has a proposal at this month's annual generalmeeting too, arguing that deals worth more than 1 trillion yen($9.1 billion) should be put to a shareholder vote.
It does not expect that proposal to pass either, but hopesit will help draw attention to "what an irrational deal" theShire transaction is, the group member said.
The group argues Takeda is taking on too much financial riskwith the acquisition and says Shire's haemophilia franchise isthreatened by Roche Holding AG's new haemophilia drugHemlibra.
Takeda Chief Executive Christophe Weber has expressedconfidence shareholders will vote in favour of the deal.
Shares at the drugmaker have fallen more than 20 percentsince it first said it was considering bidding for Shire.
($1 = 109.9900 yen)(Reporting by Sam Nussey; Additional reporting by RitsukoShimizu;Editing by Christopher Cushing and Mark Potter)