Astellas gives patients hope with drug discoveries

Astellas Pharma, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Tokyo and driven by a strong commitment to research and development (R&D), exhibits special dedication to its business philosophy. It lives and breathes its mission of improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. The company was born out of a merger in 2005 between two Japanese pharmaceutical companies - Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical and Fujisawa Pharmaceutical. It was an integration that combined more than two centuries of pharmaceutical expertise and history.

Since the merger, Astellas has led important breakthroughs in the medical field by combining its high R&D capabilities with its true passion for patients. Throughout this, the key word has been "innovation".

"Innovation is the source of our growth," says Yoshihiko Hatanaka, president and CEO of Astellas. "By predicting future environmental changes and using our high R&D competencies, we have dedicated our efforts to innovative high value-added drug discovery. We've made steady progress globally by accelerating the development of pipeline medicines and continuously introducing innovative products to the market."

Innovation's role in business operations

Astellas commits itself to proprietary ethical pharmaceutical business. In particular, the company focuses on innovative drug discovery in areas where unmet medical needs exist and where growth can be expected through innovation. Generic drugs or over-the-counter, non-prescription medications are beyond Astellas' business scope.

To engage in its core business, Astellas has been consistently pursuing its global category leader (GCL) business model since the merger. Through such a strategy, the company has been establishing a competitive advantage as a market leader in creating innovative high value-added drugs. The company then delivers them globally by focusing on selected multiple therapeutic areas or categories where a high degree of medical needs remain unsatisfied.