NPS Pharmaceuticals

What NPS Pharmaceuticals does

NPS Pharmaceuticals was a U.S.-based, rare-disease-focused biopharmaceutical company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Bedminster, New Jersey. The company developed and commercialized specialty therapeutics for ultra-rare conditions, most notably Gattex/Revestive (teduglutide) for short bowel syndrome and Natpara (parathyroid hormone) for hypoparathyroidism. Its commercial model centered on selling high-priced orphan drugs to a small but clinically dependent patient population through specialty pharmacy and physician channels, generating revenue via direct prescription sales. NPS was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in 2015 for approximately $5.2 billion and was subsequently delisted from NASDAQ; its products and capabilities were integrated into Takeda's rare disease franchise. Following the acquisition, NPS ceased to operate as an independent reporting entity, and the data now attributed to the NPS profile largely reflects its parent Takeda's global pharmaceutical operations across 70+ countries, including a robust pipeline in neuroscience, immunology, oncology, and rare diseases. As of mid-2026, the inherited NPS capabilities continue to be exercised through Takeda's enterprise field sales organization, global manufacturing infrastructure (including facilities referenced in legacy NPS production), and Phase 3 pipeline assets such as oveporexton for narcolepsy Type 1 and zasocitinib for psoriasis.

Name

NPS Pharmaceuticals

Legal name

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

Website

https://npsp.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

NPS Pharmaceuticals is a former U.S. rare-disease biopharmaceutical company, founded in 1986 and acquired by Takeda in 2015 for ~$5.2 billion, whose Gattex/Revestive and Natpara products for short bowel syndrome and hypoparathyroidism now operate within Takeda's global rare disease franchise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Pharmaceuticals (Rare Disease Therapeutics)

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Endocrine & Growth Disorder Therapies (HLAIAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rare Pediatric & Congenital Disorder Therapies (HLAIAIAN)

Keywords

• Rare disease therapeutics
• Specialty pharmaceuticals
• Biologics manufacturing
• Orphan drug development
• Prescription drug pipeline

Headquarters

HQ city

Bedminster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Prescription Pharmaceuticals: Takeda generates revenue through the development, manufacture, and sale of prescription pharmaceutical products globally. Revenue comes from both proprietary in-house developed drugs and acquired product lines including former NPS Pharmaceuticals products like Gattex/Revestive and Natpara.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NPS Pharmaceuticals developed and commercialized prescription therapeutics for rare diseases, most notably Gattex/Revestive (teduglutide) for short bowel syndrome and Natpara (parathyroid hormone) for hypoparathyroidism. The company operated an internal R&D pipeline targeting rare and specialty disease indications and relied on proprietary drug development and advanced manufacturing processes. Following its 2015 acquisition by Takeda, these products are sold through Takeda's global pharmaceutical commercial organization.

Product overview

No product information for NPS Pharmaceuticals found in the source data. The source data is from Takeda Pharmaceuticals website and does not contain information about NPS Pharmaceuticals products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TakedaEdge: A generational promise initiative where Takeda leads with bold reinvention for a healthier world, embracing cutting-edge science, technology and partnerships to create new standards of care.

Products and services

• Gattex/Revestive (teduglutide) A proprietary GLP-2 analog indicated for the treatment of short bowel syndrome (SBS) in adult and pediatric patients who are dependent on parenteral support. It is prescribed by specialists (e.g., gastroenterologists) for patients with rare gastrointestinal conditions.
• Natpara (parathyroid hormone) A recombinant parathyroid hormone product indicated as an adjunct to calcium and vitamin D for the treatment of hypoparathyroidism in adult patients who cannot be adequately controlled on calcium and vitamin D alone. Used by endocrinologists managing patients with this rare endocrine disorder.

Quantifiable outcome

• Oveporexton showed improved daily function, cognition, and nighttime sleep for people with narcolepsy Type 1 in pivotal studies
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NPS PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Takeda acquired NPS Pharmaceuticals in 2015 for approximately $5.2 billion, gaining control of NPS's rare disease portfolio including Gattex/Revestive (teduglutide) for short bowel syndrome and Natpara (parathyroid hormone) for hypoparathyroidism. This acquisition strengthened Takeda's rare disease franchise and expanded its specialty pharma capabilities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Shire (now part of Takeda): Pre-acquisition rare-disease leader acquired by Takeda in 2019. Operates within the same Takeda parent as NPS and represents the larger rare-disease incumbent under the same corporate umbrella.
• Genzyme (Sanofi Rare Disease): Pioneering rare-disease franchise within Sanofi, with a broad orphan-drug portfolio across lysosomal storage, oncology, and immunology. Larger incumbent operating in adjacent rare-disease categories.

Direct peers

• BioMarin Pharmaceutical: Specialty biopharmaceutical company focused exclusively on rare diseases, with a portfolio of enzyme replacement and gene therapies addressing small patient populations — directly comparable business model and orphan-drug strategy to NPS.
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Specialty pharma focused on serious diseases with high unmet need (cystic fibrosis, sickle cell, pain). Comparable as a rare/specialty-disease-focused innovator with concentrated product franchises.
• Alexion Pharmaceuticals (AstraZeneca Rare Disease): Rare-disease specialist built around high-priced biologics for ultra-rare conditions, later acquired by AstraZeneca. Closely mirrors NPS's rare-disease, high-price-per-patient, biologic-led model.
• Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi): European specialty biopharma focused on rare diseases, particularly in immunology, hematology, and endocrinology. Closely aligned with NPS's rare-endocrine and orphan-biologic positioning.
• Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical: Pure-play rare-disease biotech developing and commercializing therapies for rare and ultra-rare genetic conditions. Directly comparable orphan-drug commercial and development model.
• Recordati Rare Diseases: Specialty pharma division focused exclusively on rare diseases, including endocrine and metabolic disorders. Directly comparable orphan-disease commercial strategy and patient-by-patient distribution model.

Emerging players

• Amicus Therapeutics: Clinical-stage and commercial rare-disease biotech with a focus on lysosomal storage disorders and rare-chemistry therapies. Comparable as a smaller, emerging rare-disease specialist building an orphan franchise.
• Reata Pharmaceuticals (now Biogen): Rare-disease biotech with FDA-approved therapies for ultra-rare conditions, acquired by Biogen in 2023. Comparable exit trajectory and rare-disease commercialization model to NPS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/takeda-pharmaceuticals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nps-pharmaceuticals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NPS Pharmaceuticals