Merck on track to buy Japanese research institute

On June 20, the German pharmaceutical group Merck KGaA announced that its Japanese generics unit, Merck Hoei Ltd, has agreed to buy a research institute from Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., one of Japan's leading pharmaceutical and food ingredient companies. The purchase is scheduled for next January for an undisclosed sum, reports Kyodo News​. Merck KgaA claims the purchase of the Mohan Medicine Research Institute in Tokyo will double sales by Merck Hoei, making it the number three generics company in the world's second largest pharmaceutical market. Kyowa Hakko Kyogo Co.​ will introduce the cholesterol-lowering CSPHP soy peptide as a functional food ingredient at the International Food Technologists Expo held in New Orleans June 23-27. Kyowa studies have shown that a 3-gram dose of CSPHP taken daily for one month reduced LDL-cholesterol by 17 per cent, making it more effective in lowering LDL-cholesterol than regular soy, 25 grams of which taken at the same rate, only reduces cholesterol 10 per cent. The same dosage of CSPHP increased HDL-cholesterol by 14 per cent. Source: Kyodo News