By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : February 26, 2026 4:08 pm
Asahi Kasei is consistently pursuing its strategy of building a focused, sustainable specialty pharmaceutical platform for immunocompromised and medically complex patient groups
Asahi Kasei will acquire all shares of the German biopharmaceutical company Aicuris Anti-infective Cures AG for approximately €780 million. With this transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, Asahi Kasei will further expand its specialty pharmaceutical platform in the therapeutic area for the treatment of serious infectious diseases.
With this acquisition, Asahi Kasei is consistently pursuing its strategy of building a focused, sustainable specialty pharmaceutical platform for immunocompromised and medically complex patient groups.
Severe infectious diseases are an area strategically adjacent to Asahi Kasei's established core areas of transplantation (Veloxis) and nephrology (Calliditas), and where infection-related complications remain a significant clinical challenge.
By leveraging its established commercial infrastructure in transplant centers and nephrology providers, as well as its advanced research and development capabilities, Asahi Kasei expects to accelerate the development and commercialization of Aicuris' product pipeline, while simultaneously increasing operational efficiency and long-term returns.
“This acquisition strengthens our position in interconnected therapeutic areas, including autoimmune diseases, transplantation, kidney diseases, and serious infectious diseases. It expands our pipeline and reinforces our strategy to build a world-leading specialty pharmaceutical company,” explained Ken Shinomiya, Head of Healthcare at Asahi Kasei.
“Given the strategic direction and the opportunity to expand in an area where we already have a strong presence, we acted decisively to advance our long-term growth objectives. This transaction aligns with our investment plans and supports our goal of achieving net pharmaceutical sales of 300 billion yen with an operating margin of 15% or more by fiscal year 2030.”