China Secures 10 Spots in Global Top 50 Most Valuable Pharma Brands; Yifeng Pharmacy Expands into Pre-Packaged Food Sales; Takeda Announces 4,500 Global Layoffs

Yifeng Pharmacy Chain Co., Ltd. announced on May 15 that the company held the 29th meeting of the fifth board of directors on May 14, during which the proposal "on the expansion of business scope and revision" was reviewed and approved. To meet the actual needs of operation and management, the company decided to add the business scope of "sales of prepackaged food (including refrigerated and frozen food)" based on the original business, and revise relevant clauses of the "Articles of Association."

The announcement shows that this adjustment of the business scope is a strategic arrangement made by the company based on business development needs. By comparing the content of the "Articles of Association" before and after the revision, it can be found that under the category of "general projects," the new business item "sales of prepackaged food (including refrigerated and frozen food)" has been added.

This expansion of business scope marks that Yifeng Pharmacy Chain Co., Ltd. has further improved its layout in the large health industry. It is expected to enhance the comprehensive service capabilities of its stores by enriching product lines and provide consumers with a broader range of health and lifestyle-related products. Market analysts believe that the introduction of prepackaged food, especially refrigerated and frozen food, may help the company attract more customer traffic, strengthen customer loyalty, and thereby positively impact the growth of its retail business.

Jumpcan announced on May 17 that recently, the website of the National Medical Products Administration released the "Announcement of Protected Traditional Chinese Medicine Varieties (No. 36) (2026, No. 44)", and the Pudilan Anti-inflammatory Oral Liquid produced by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Jumpcan Limited, is the first secondary-level protected traditional Chinese medicine variety. Pudilan Anti-inflammatory Oral Liquid is an exclusive formulation product manufactured by Jumpcan Limited, which has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling, and relieving sore throat. It is suitable for treating upper respiratory tract infectious diseases such as mumps, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and furuncle.

Recently, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company announced plans to cut approximately 4,500 jobs by the fiscal year 2026 as part of its business restructuring efforts to streamline corporate functions and reduce operational costs. This workforce reduction represents less than 10% of Takeda's global employee base and will not impact the company’s recruitment plans. To date, Takeda still has around 2,200 vacant positions, with additional roles expected to be created in the fiscal year 2026. The company prioritizes filling these vacancies through internal promotions. Takeda stated that this restructuring is expected to achieve gross cost savings of approximately 10 billion yen in the fiscal year 2026.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Announces Financial Results for the Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2026. Full-year revenue was 4,505.72 billion yen, compared to 4,581.51 billion yen in the previous year, representing a year-over-year decrease of 1.7%. Annual operating profit was 408.761 billion yen, up from 342.586 billion yen the previous year, marking a year-over-year increase of 19.3%. Net profit attributable to the company's shareholders for the full year was 191.762 billion yen, compared to 107.928 billion yen the previous year, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 77.7%.