Hokuriku

Hokuriku Pharmaceutical was a prominent Japanese pharmaceutical company specializing in the development and manufacture of small molecule therapeutics, particularly for respiratory and gastrointestinal conditions. Founded in 1920 and headquartered in Katsuyama, Fukui Prefecture, the company established a strong presence in the Japanese market with products like the asthma treatment Tulobuterol. Following its acquisition by BASF in 1996 and subsequent integration into Abbott Laboratories in 2001, its operations became a core part of Abbott's (and later AbbVie's) Japanese pharmaceutical business. The company was well-regarded for its research and development capabilities in the respiratory field and its established manufacturing infrastructure in Japan.