EU regulators to probe Johnson & Johnson’s Takeda deal

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU antitrust regulators opened on Wednesday a full-scale investigation into Johnson & Johnson’s buy of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co’s <4502.T> surgical patch product TachoSil, saying the deal may hurt competition and innovation.

The European Commission set an Aug. 10 deadline for its decision on the deal.

Japan’s biggest drugmaker announced the disposal of $10 billion worth of assets to cut debt in May last year, and also said it was selling TachoSil, a surgical patch for bleeding control, to Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon for $400 million.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee)