Purchase boosts Takeda's gout treatment portfolio.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. is acquiring URL Pharma for an up-front payment of $800 million and future performance-based contingent payments. Upon completion of the deal, URL Pharma will be managed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. Inc.

URL Pharma is a privately held pharmaceutical company with 2011 calendar year revenues of nearly $600 million. Its leading product is Colcrys (colchicine). used to treat and prevent gout flares. "This acquisition expands Takeda's gout treatment portfolio and leverages our expertise in primary care," says Douglas Cole, president of Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. "Gout affects more than 8 million Americans, and the prevalence of gout is rising."

Colcrys complements Takeda's position in the gout marketplace with Uloric (febuxostat), which is used to lower blood uric acid levels in adults with gout.