TOKYO -- Fujifilm will partner with Takeda Pharmaceutical to develop and sell a regenerative medicine product for heart patients, the company announced Thursday.

The deal combines Fujifilm's manufacturing expertise with Takeda's experience in clinical tests and pharmaceutical sales. The product, which is being developed by Fujifilm's U.S. subsidiary Cellular Dynamics International, uses induced pluripotent stem cells.

The companies expect the product, which helps restore the heart muscle in patients with grave heart failure symptoms, to begin clinical tests as early as 2019. It is currently being tested on lab animals.

The deal represents the first tie-up for the two companies.

Fujifilm acquired Wako Pure Chemical Industries, a laboratory chemicals manufacturer, from Takeda in 2017.