Fresh off its $7.5 billion deal to buy Barr Pharmaceuticals [1], Teva is eyeing joint ventures in Japan. CEO Shlomo Yanai told the Financial Times that establishing a beachhead in that country is a top priority for him. Though Japan has historically stuck mostly to brand-name meds, partly because of quality concerns, Yanai believes that Teva's rep can overcome that reticence. "Right now Japan is more ripe for generics," he told the newspaper. "Japan is very important but difficult to break into."

Hence the desire for a joint venture, which would give Teva a foot in the door. That's not the only option, Yanai says, but it's "definitely the preferred option."

- see the Financial Times article [2]

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Teva Pharmaceutical - best Pharma Stocks of 2007 [3]
Teva earmarks $1B for India [3]