Takeda proposes selling off Shire drug to gain merger clearance

(Sharecast News) - Takeda Pharmaceuticals may need to sell off one of Shire's pipeline drugs in order to gain European regulatory clearance for the agreed $62bn takeover. Takeda has proposed a potential divestment of Shire's SHP647 and certain associated rights as it potentially overlaps with the Japanese company's successful inflammatory bowel disease treatment, Entyvio.Takeda said this was the only area of potential concern the European Commission had flagged and it "does not anticipate" the regulatory talks to delay its expected completion date of the first half of 2019.The deal has already been cleared in Japan, China, the US and Brazil.