Astellas Named 'Company of the Year' at International SCRIP Awards 2013

LONDON, November 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Win recognises outstanding financial and R&D performance as Astellas brings an array of new medicines to market for patients in need

Astellas has been announced as Pharmaceutical Company of the Year at the 9th Annual SCRIP Awards. The accolade recognises outstanding achievement by a pharmaceutical company, spanning all aspects of the business, including commercial success and pipeline development. The SCRIP Awards initiative salutes innovation and excellence across the international biopharmaceutical sector and is amongst the most prestigious in the industry.

With strong sales and a 17% increase in global profits, the last year has seen Astellas financially outperform many other businesses in the biopharmaceutical sector. But it is in drug discovery and innovation where the company has really made its mark. In the period appraised by the SCRIP judges (June 2012 to May 2013), ten Astellas treatment therapies were granted approval by medical authorities worldwide and the company launched 12 new brands across 20 markets. Among these were new classes of treatments in Oncology, Anti-Infectives and Urology.

"The vision and effort needed to bring 12 new medicines to market in a single year is enormous, so it is great to be recognised as the best in the business," commented Ken Jones, President and CEO, Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. "With solid and consistent growth, we are set to maintain the momentum with several exciting advances on the horizon. These are outcomes of our strategic R&D and licensing approach, which focuses on delivering safe and effective medicines in disease areas where unmet needs exist."

Astellas was founded in 2005 through the merger of Yamanouchi and Fujisawa, marrying nearly two centuries of collective experience in producing innovative and reliable medicines. The company focuses on improving the lives of patients by making long-term commitments to a number of strategically-chosen, specialist disease areas. Research and development (R&D) prioritises disease areas where there is a vital need for better treatments, reinforcing the Company's commitment to providing new standards of care for patients and their doctors.

This specialism, depth of understanding and long-term view means that even as a mid-sized company, Astellas is able to make an important contribution to improving the health of people around the world. The Company is a recognised global category leader in Urology and Transplantation, producing some of the most widely-prescribed medicines for patients in these disease areas. Astellas is also committed to becoming a global category leader in Oncology.

Notes to editors

• Astellas was awarded the title of Pharmaceutical Company of the Year at the 9th Annual SCRIP Awards ceremony on the evening of Thursday 21st November 2013 in London.
• The SCRIP Awards are an annual initiative by SCRIP Intelligence, a leading source of news and strategic analysis for the global pharmaceutical industry. For more information see:
  

    http://www.scripintelligence.com/aboutus/

ABOUT ASTELLAS PHARMA INC.

Astellas Pharma Inc., located in Tokyo, Japan, is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceuticals. Astellas has approximately 17,000 employees worldwide. The organization is committed to becoming a global category leader in Urology, Immunology (including Transplantation) and Infectious diseases, Oncology, Neuroscience and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) Complications and Kidney diseases. For more information on Astellas Pharma Inc., please visit the company website at http://www.astellas.com/en.