TOKYO, July 3 (Reuters) - Blackstone and MBK

Partners said on Wednesday the U.S. private equity firm is

selling Japanese drugmaker Alinamin Pharmaceutical to the North

Asian buyout fund.

The deal size would be 350 billion yen ($2.17 billion), a

source said on Tuesday, however neither Blackstone nor MBK in

their separate statements disclosed the transaction value.

Blackstone acquired Alinamin in 2020 from Takeda

Pharmaceutical ( TAK ) in what it said was the largest

healthcare transaction in Japan.

Blackstone will re-invest an indirect, minority stake in

Alinamin upon the closing of the transaction, it said.

($1 = 161.5100 yen)

(Reporting by Anton Bridge; Editing by Muralikumar

Anantharaman)