Takeda Pharmaceutical Co has posted a reasonable set of financial for the first nine months of its fiscal year, despite a major decline in sales of its diabetes drug Actos.

Net income for the April-December period fell 13.5% to 138.91 billion (about $1.51 billion), but sales increased 5.5% to 1.189 trillion yen. Actos (pioglitazone), which fell 53.9% to 109.20 billion yen, is now off-patent and has been hit by warnings from US and European regulators regarding an increased (but small) risk of bladder cancer.

Sales of the blood pressure drug Blopress (candesartan cilexetil) decreased 21.3% to 132.90 billion yen, while the prostate and breast cancer treatment Leuplin (leuprorelin) dipped 5.5% to 87.70 billion yen. The gastrointestinal drug Prevacid/Takepron (lansoprazole) fell 7.8% to 85.60 billion yen.

On the positive side, US sales of the multiple myeloma drug Velcade (bortezomib) were up 26.8% to 53.90 billion yen. Also the peptic ulcer treatment pantoprazole, acquired through Takeda's 9.6 billion euro acquisition of Nycomed in 2011, brought in 56.50 billion yen, up 170.7%.

Sales were also boosted by sales in Japan of Takeda's new diabetes drug Nesina (alogliptin), which soared 151.4% to 25.80 billion yen. Last week,  Nesina, plus two combinations of the drug - Oseni (alogliptin/pioglitazone) and Kazono (alogliptin/metformin) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.