May 11--TOKYO -- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. said Monday it posted a group net profit of 234.39 billion yen in fiscal 2008 ended in March, down 34.1 percent from the previous year in the first profit fall in four years.

Takeda attributed the result to large costs related to its acquisition of U.S. biotechnology-based drug firm Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. in May last year.

Sales grew 11.9 percent to 1.54 trillion yen due in part to the addition of Millennium to the Takeda group, said the leading Japanese drugmaker.

A 3.6 percent increase in domestic sales of drugs for diabetes and other diseases also contributed to the growth of overall sales.

For fiscal 2009 ending next March 31, Takeda is expecting a 19.5 percent rise in net profit to 280 billion yen despite a 2.5 percent drop in sales to 1.5 trillion yen.

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