CAMBRIDGE, Mass., SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 – Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company today announced the initiation of the Phase II portion of a Phase I/II clinical trial of TAK-700 in patients with advanced prostate cancer. TAK-700 is a non-steroidal androgen synthesis inhibitor that in preclinical studies has been shown to selectively bind to and inhibit the enzyme 17, 20 lyase in both the testes and adrenal glands, suppressing the production of androgen.

The open-label, multiple-dose study will examine the safety and effectiveness of TAK-700 in patients with chemotherapy-naïve metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Primary endpoints of the study are safety and tolerability with secondary measures to include efficacy, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic endpoints.

“Our efforts in the development of drugs for prostate cancer represent a high-priority for Millennium,” said Nancy Simonian, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Millennium. “TAK-700 is the first drug candidate in our prostate program to advance to Phase II clinical trials. We are pleased to see the progress of this compound, and we are striving to develop drugs that will fulfill the unmet medical need for prostate cancer.”

About Takeda

Located in Osaka, Japan, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502) is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. As the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and one of the global leaders of the industry, Takeda is committed to striving toward better health for individuals and progress in medicine by developing superior pharmaceutical products. Additional information about Takeda is available through its corporate website, www.takeda.com.

About Millennium

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, a leading biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Mass., markets a first-in-class proteasome inhibitor, and has a robust clinical development pipeline of product candidates. Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. ("Takeda", TSE: 4502) in May, 2008. The Company's research, development and commercialization activities are focused in oncology. Additional information about Millennium is available through its website, www.millennium.com

Contacts:
Millennium
Manisha Pai
(617) 551-7877
Manisha.Pai@mpi.com

Takeda
Ayako Iwamuro
+81-3-3278-2037
Iwamuro_Ayako@takeda.co.jp