Takeda posts 55 percent jump in annual profit, beats estimates

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd reported on Monday a 55.1 percent jump in annual operating profit, buoyed by growing sales of bowel disease drug Entyvio and heartburn and ulcer drug Takecab.

Operating profit came in at 241.8 billion yen ($2.21 billion) for the year ended March, versus 155.9 billion yen a year ago. That was above an average estimate of 235.4 billion yen from 11 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

For the current financial year, Takeda sees an operating profit of 201 billion yen.

The earnings come days after it agreed to acquire London-listed Shire for $62 billion in a deal that will propel it into the top 10 rankings of global drugmakers.

 

($1 = 109.3600 yen)

(Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Himani Sarkar)