Astellas Pharma

Astellas Pharma is a Japanese pharmaceutical company, formed on 1 April, 2005 from the merger of Yamanouchi Pharmaceutrical Co. and Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co. Astellas' franchise areas are urology, immunology and inflammation (transplantation). Priority areas for R&D are infectious diseases, diabetes, gastrointestinal organs, and the central nervous system. The company's headquarters are in Tokyo, with research centres in Tsukuba and Osaka. Clinical development is centred in Deerfield, Illinois and Leiderdorp in The Netherlands. Combined revenues of the two pre-merger companies were $7.9 billion in 2004. Worldwide the company employs about 15,300 people.

History

Fujisawa Shoten was started in 1894 by Tomokichi Fujisawa in Osaka, and was renamed Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co. in 1943.

Yamanouchi Yakuhin Shokai was started started in 1923 by Kenji Yamanouchi in Osaka. The company was renamed Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co. in 1940 and transferred to Tokyo in 1942.

Both companies started their overseas expansion at almost the same time, opening offices in Taiwan in 1962 and 1963 respectively, and in the United States and Europe from 1977 onwards. Fujisawa acquired Lyphomed in 1990 and thereby established is US R&D centre in Deerfield, Illinois. Yamanouchi's R&D centre in Leiderdorp was established with the acquisition of the pharmaceutical division of Royal Gist Brocades in 1991.

Fujisawa and Yamanouchi combined in a "merger of equals", forming Astellas Pharma as from 1 April, 2005.