London, April 20, 2010 (ots/PRNewswire) - Today, on the fifth
anniversary since its formation, Astellas Pharma Europe has confirmed
that it will continue its emphasis on transplantation and urology
while moving towards a new vision to build a strong presence in
oncology. Astellas has shown robust growth since its creation,
expanding its reach into new therapeutic areas and already achieving
Category Leadership status in urology and transplantation in Europe.

Masao Yoshida, President and CEO of Astellas Pharma Europe,
commented: "Our vision at Astellas is focused on changing tomorrow
for patients. The last five years have been a remarkable success,
adding innovative new medicines to our portfolio which tackle key
areas of unmet medical need. We are committed to continuing to bring
our vision to life and it is very exciting for the company to begin
to focus on the area of oncology."

Since its formation from the merger of Fujisawa and Yamanouchi in
2005, Astellas has adopted a four-part strategy to deliver sales
growth significantly above the industry average - franchise
expansion, movement into new markets, emphasis on marketing
excellence and a commitment to becoming a pharmaceutical employer of
choice.

Astellas will continue to develop its expertise and offerings in
its five key franchise areas. Astellas already has leading and best
in class products in the fields of transplantation (Prograf(TM),
Advagraf(TM) and Modigraf(TM)), urology (Vesicare(TM)) and
dermatology (Protopic(TM)) in addition to innovative recent and
forthcoming launches in anti-infectives (Mycamine(TM) and
Vibativ(TM)) and pain (Qutenza(TM)).

Oncology will become Astellas Europe's sixth franchise focus.
Prostate cancer therapy, Eligard(R), is already available in
selected markets and initial steps towards expanding the oncology
capability have begun with the acquisition of Agensys Inc - a biotech
subsidiary of Astellas that is developing a pipeline of therapeutic
fully human monoclonal antibodies to treat a range of solid tumour
cancers. A number of these molecules are currently in Phase I and II
trials. The other outcome is MDV3100, a novel, triple acting oral
androgen receptor antagonist licensed in from Medivation Inc. and
currently in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of advanced
prostate cancer.

"We are very proud of the growth we have achieved since our
company's formation five years ago. Applying our core values of
innovation and fulfilling unmet medical needs, we have developed and
diversified our business from just two therapy areas on the market in
2005, to five franchise areas and a promising pipeline today" added
Mr Yoshida. "Going forward, we are aiming to help patients living
with cancer, as well as continue to address and overcome the
challenges in the fields of Transplantation, Urology, Dermatology,
Anti-Infectives and Pain Management."

Marketing excellence, becoming an employer of choice and
expanding into new markets are core aspects of Astellas' development
plans for the next five years. The company's dramatic progress in
marketing excellence has been recognised by several recent awards,
including the 2010 PharmaTimes European Marketing Company of the
Year. The drive for excellence continues and sales training
initiatives and enhanced working practices have been put in place to
support this goal in the coming years. Attracting, growing and
retaining top talent is a priority for the company and several
programmes, including a unique leadership recognition and training
scheme, are already helping Astellas to become an employer of choice
in the pharmaceutical industry. Geographically, Astellas will
continue its programme of rapid and strategic yet prudent expansion,
with a firm focus on emerging markets.

About Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd.

Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., located in the UK, is a European
subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. Astellas is a
pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people
around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable
pharmaceuticals. The organisation is committed to becoming a global
company by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities and
continuing to grow in the world pharmaceutical market. Astellas
Pharma Europe Ltd. is responsible for 20 affiliate offices located
across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, an R&D site and three
manufacturing plants. The company employs approximately 3,400 staff
across these regions. For more information about Astellas Pharma
Europe, please visit http://www.astellas.eu.

ots Originaltext: Astellas Pharma Europe Limited
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
CONTACT: Contacts for enquiry or additional information: Astellas
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