Takeda Pharmaceutical (TKPYY) and Shire (SHPG) announced that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended offer pursuant to which Takeda will acquire the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Shire.

Under the terms of the acquisition, each Shire shareholder will be entitled to receive $30.33 in cash for each Shire share and either 0.839 new Takeda shares or 1.678 Takeda ADSs. The transaction has been approved by both companies' boards of directors and is expected to close in the first half of calendar year 2019. Upon the closing of the transaction, Takeda shareholders will own approximately 50% of the combined group. "With leading market positions in prioritized therapeutic areas, an attractive geographic footprint, greater scale and efficiencies, and an even more productive R&D engine, the combined group will be better positioned to deliver highly-innovative medicines and transformative care providing better health and a brighter future for patients around the world," Takeda said. Takeda has entered into a bridge facility agreement of $30.85B with, among others, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and MUFG Bank, part of the proceeds of which will be used to fund the cash consideration payable to Shire shareholders in connection with the acquisition.

It is currently contemplated that, prior to completion, the commitments under the bridge facility agreement will be reduced or refinanced with a combination of long-term debt, hybrid capital, and available cash resources.