About Shionogi Inc.

History of Shionogi & Co., Ltd.

Shionogi & Co., Ltd., headquartered in Osaka, Japan, was established in 1878, when Gisaburo Shiono founded a drug wholesaling business in Osaka, Japan. Today, Shionogi is a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company with a corporate mission to “constantly strive to provide superior medicine essential to people’s health.” Shionogi’s core business is ethical pharmaceuticals—with a strategic focus on infectious diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and chronic pain.

For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., employed more than 5,000 staff worldwide, reported consolidated revenues of approximately $3.2 billion*, and invested approximately $600 million* in R&D (* Approx. JPY ¥86 = USD $1) .

Shionogi & Co., Ltd. is listed on the Tokyo and Osaka stock exchanges under the symbol (4507.t).

History of Shionogi Inc.

The US group headquarters of Shionogi & Co., Ltd., was established in 2001 as Shionogi USA, Inc. Shionogi USA was initially formed as a clinical development and regulatory center of excellence—advancing the development of compounds discovered by Shionogi‘s Research Labs as well as other partners. In 2008, Shionogi & Co., Ltd. acquired Sciele Pharma, which had been marketing branded pharmaceutical products in the US since 1992. In January 2010, Sciele changed its name to Shionogi Pharma Inc., and has served as a commercial center of excellence for Shionogi in the US. In July 2010, Shionogi Inc. was established as the US group headquarters for Shionogi, with a single leadership team that oversees both the commercial and R&D activities of Shionogi that take place in the US.

Shionogi Key Events

  • 1878 – Gisaburo Shiono founds drug wholesaling business
  • 1892 – Shionogi begins manufacturing chemicals
  • 1909 – First pharmaceutical product, Antacidin, launches
  • 1949 – Stocks listed on Security Exchange of Tokyo and Osaka
  • 1963 – Animal health, agricultural chemicals, and clinical laboratory testing businesses start
  • 1978 – 100th anniversary
  • 1992 – Acquisition of capsule business from Eli Lilly & Co.
  • 2001 – Shionogi USA established; agricultural chemicals business divested
  • 2001 – Joint venture, Shionogi-GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals LLC, established
  • 2002 – Animal health and clinical testing businesses divested to intensify focus on ethical pharmaceuticals
  • 2003 – US approval of rosuvastatin calcium, marketed under the brand name “Crestor” by Astra Zeneca
  • 2003 – Industrial chemicals business divested
  • 2008 – Acquisition of Sciele Pharma Inc., Atlanta, GA
  • 2010 – Shionogi established Shionogi Inc.