US private equity giant Blackstone is reportedly nearing a deal to sell its Japanese supplement maker Alinamin Pharmaceutical Co. to Asian buyout firm MBK Partners for $2.2 billion (¥350 billion).
The deal is set to be signed soon, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed source on condition of anonymity.
MBK targets to use its experience in consumer goods acquisitions to boost Alinamin's value, according to a separate report by Nikkei.
In 2020, Blackstone paid $1.5 billion to acquire Alinamin, then a subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical, ultimately creating a Japanese national champion in over-the-counter medicines.
After Blackstone's takeover, the company set up a unit in Taiwan and raised its overseas sales, the Nikkei report showed.
Blackstone’s billionaire chairman and CEO Stephen Schwarzman had a net worth of $38 billion as of July 2, 2024, according to Forbes estimates.
Blackstone agreed last month to buy Infocom, a Japanese digital comics provider, in a deal estimated at around $1.7 billion. After the buyout is completed, the parent company of the e-comics platform, Teijin, will sell all of its 58% stake in Infocom in a share buyback for $850.2 million.
The private equity firm has made over 10 investments in IT services and technology-enabled businesses in Asia Pacific, including digital service providers Mphasis and R Systems.
In May, Blackstone said it would acquire the struggling UK-based music rights owner Hipgnosis Songs Fund for $1.6 billion after Concord Bidco abstained from improving its $1.5 billion bid.
Earlier this year, Blackstone finalized its acquisition of Rover Group, an online marketplace for pet care, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $2.3 billion. The deal was announced in November 2023 and approved by Rover stockholders during a special meeting for stockholders in February 2024.
