The history of the Otsuka Group began in 1921, when Busaburo Otsuka established a factory manufacturing chemical compounds in Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture (now Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory Inc.) After this beginning as small-scale manufacturer of chemical raw materials, in 1946 the company began producing and selling intravenous solutions, marking its entry into the pharmaceutical products market. In 1950, the organic chemicals division split off from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory to form Otsuka Chemical and Medical Products, Inc.(Now Otsuka Chemical Co., Ltd.) followed by the establishment of Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in 1963 and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in 1964. Each of these new entities was a step in the evolution of a manufacturer specializing in research and development.

Meanwhile, in 1961, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory’s transport and warehousing division split off from the company to become Otsuka Warehouse Co., Ltd., now involved mainly in pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs distribution.

The international expansion of the Otsuka Group began with the 1973 establishment of Thai Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and an office in the U.S.A., with subsequent aggressive overseas expansion driven by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

The Otsuka group has grown into a corporate group consisting of a total of about 150 companies worldwide.

Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. was established on July 8, 2008, through a share transfer establishing Otsuka Holdings as a wholly owning parent company, with Otsuka Pharmaceutical as a wholly owned subsidiary.

At a board of directors’meeting and the general meeting of shareholders held in 2008, Otsuka Holdings decided to make three of its companies into wholly owned direct subsidiaries through a corporate revision and exchange of shares. The three companies concerned are Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Otsuka Warehouse, and Taiho Pharmaceutical.

As a result of the reorganization, Otsuka Holdings’ wholly owned direct subsidiary Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. was joined by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Otsuka Warehouse, and Taiho Pharmaceutical. On July 1, 2009, Otsuka Chemical Co., Ltd. became a wholly owned direct subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings, Otsuka Holdings now has five wholly owned subsidiaries (Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Otsuka Warehouse, and Otsuka Chemical) which operate in parallel. In addition, the group of companies headed by Earth Chemical Co., Ltd. will continue to work closely with the Otsuka Group.

The Otsuka Group will function as a unified force under a holdings structure as we strive to contribute to the health and prosperity of people the world over.