Nycomed named among 'Best Workplaces in Canada'

Oakville-Based Company Awarded for Fifth Consecutive Year

OAKVILLE, ON, April 19, 2012 /CNW/ - For the fifth consecutive year, pharmaceutical company Nycomed: a Takeda Company has been named in the top 10 'Best Workplaces in Canada', an annual list published by the Great Place to Work® Institute Canada.

"Being included on this year's list of 'Best Workplaces in Canada' is a great achievement because ultimately it is an endorsement from our own people. It demonstrates the passion and commitment our people have toward of our business," said Mike Egli, President & CEO of Takeda, Canada.

To be eligible for the accolade, Nycomed was assessed though a rigorous process involving detailed employee surveys and an audit of corporate culture, where employees were given the chance to provide their thoughts and opinions on the company.

"Our people are a priority for our organization. We strive to make everyone feel like they are a part of something important, to share our values and for our people to be role models for each other," said Mr Egli.

Nycomed, recently acquired by Takeda, believes in fostering a highly collaborative work environment where high standards are achieved through teamwork as well as recognition programs which gives employees the opportunity to acknowledge their peers.

"In an environment and industry that is changing so rapidly we strive to ensure that our people remain at the centre of what we do," added Mr. Egli. "Appearing on this list for the fifth year in a row tells us that our employees are happy with our investment in them and that translates into our company's overall performance and customer satisfaction."

About 'Best Workplace' rankings
The judges for the 'Best Workplaces' in Canada assessed almost 50,000 employees from over 230 organizations. A company was analysed predominately on employee responses to a 'Trust Index' survey. The questions centred on the critical characteristics of credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. In addition to the 'Trust Index' each company was evaluated based on a submitted culture audit.

The winners of the 2012 'Best Workplaces in Canada' were announced in a special national report published in The Globe & Mail.

About Great Place to Work® Institute Canada
The Great Place to Work® Institute Canada is dedicated to building a better society by helping companies transform their workplaces. The Institute's work is based on the major findings of more than 20 years of research - that trust between managers and employees is the primary defining characteristic of the best workplaces. The Institute offers services and tools to help companies build trust and become more effective organizations. www.greatplacetowork.ca.

About Nycomed: a Takeda Company
Nycomed is a Takeda company since the end of September 2011. Takeda Canada Inc., located in Oakville, Ontario, is the Canadian marketing and sales organization of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.

As the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and a leader in the global industry, Takeda's mission is to strive toward better health for patients worldwide through leading innovation in medicine. It has a commercial presence covering more than 70 countries, with particular strength in Asia, North America, Europe and fast-growing emerging markets including Latin America, Russia-CIS and China. Takeda is ranked 12th by global Rx sales, 14th in the BRIC countries and 18th in Europe. Takeda's commercial presence mainly covers the therapeutic areas of metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, oncology, cardiovascular health, CNS diseases, inflammatory and immune disorders, respiratory diseases and pain management.

Additional information about Takeda Canada Inc. is available through its website, www.takedacanada.com.

For further information:

Jeanne Menard
Corporate Communications
Takeda Canada Inc.
[e-mail]
Tel:  [phone]