Kangen Pharmaceuticals announced Wednesday it has reached an agreement to acquire the assets of KC Specialty Therapeutics (KCST). Kangen intends to retain operations in Kansas City, Kansas and expand within Japan and the U.S.

KCST has an existing portfolio of products focused on niche indications, and orphan drug designations.  This acquisition also creates for Kangen an expanded network of affiliates and alliances in Asia and Europe, where Kangen will further expand strategic business alliances and portfolio of branded pharmaceuticals.

“This acquisition brings together complementary strengths of Kangen and KCST and also enhances our strategic position and value with our partners in Japan,” Diana Wood, CEO of KCST said. Wood will take on the additional role of the president of Kangen, while Norihiro Hirota, current president and chairman of Kangen, will retain the chairman position.

Kangen Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2005 by Hirota. Kangen, formerly known as Stason Pharma Japan, has been instrumental in establishing strategic relationships between KCST and its partners in Japan, now with several ongoing projects in various stages of the FDA review process.­

KC Specialty Therapeutics, LLC is a US-based pharmaceutical company focused on the development of quality therapeutics for niche markets, and unmet medical need such as for orphan indications. The company is headquartered in Kansas City, Kansas and was founded in 2012 as a subsidiary of Stason Pharmaceuticals, which entered the U.S. market in 1994.

KC Specialty has expertise in brand drug development, and navigation of complex regulatory pathways, which will compliment Kangen’s strategic alliances, worldwide, according to the company. 

(Source: Kangen Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.)