In the latest in a string of deals, Takeda's agreement to acquire global rights to Altos's gastroparesis candidate - and possibly the company itself - gives the Japanese giant another asset in its core gastrointestinal area.

M&A Watch: Selected Asian M&A deals, March 2010 to March 2011

Daiichi Sankyo's US subsidiary Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, through its newly established division known as Regency Therapeutics, has launched the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ketorolac, Sprix (ketorolac tromethamine) nasal spray, for the short term (up to five days) management of moderate to moderately severe pain that requires opioid analgesia.

Symphogen, a private Danish biopharmaceutical company developing antibody therapeutics to treat cancer, and infectious and autoimmune diseases, has appointed Dr Ivan Horak chief scientific officer and medical officer and Gayle Mills chief business officer. Dr Horak joins from Enzon, where he was most recently president of R&D, having been chief scientific officer since 2005. Ms Mills had served as executive vice-president of business operations and chief business officer at Roxro Pharma for the past five years until the company's acquisition by Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Daiichi Sankyo.