Astellas Pharma Inc. (アステラス製薬株式会社, Asuterasu Seiyaku Kabushiki-gaisha^?) (TYO: 4503 ) is a Japanese pharmaceutical company, formed on 1 April 2005 from the merger of Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (山之内製薬株式会社, Yamanouchi Seiyaku Kabushiki-gaisha^?) and Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (藤沢薬品工業株式会社, Fujisawa Yakuhin Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha^?). Astellas' franchise areas are urology, immunology, dermatology 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. The Tokyo Stock Exchange ), or TSE, is one of the largest stock exchange markets in the world by monetary volume located in Tokyo, Japan, second only to the New York Stock Exchange. ... A pharmaceutical company, or drug company, is a commercial business licensed to research, develop, market and/or distribute drugs, most commonly in the context of healthcare. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Urology is the field of medicine that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. ... Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. ... Dermatology (from Greek derma, skin) is a branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its appendages (hair, nails, sweat glands etc). ... Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or irritation and may be referred to as the Innate immune system and as healthy nor unhealthy on its own: Inflammation helps fight disease, but it comes at the cost of suspending the bodys normal immune and catabolic... An organ transplant is the transplantation of an organ (or part of one) from one body to another, for the purpose of replacing the recipients damaged or failing organ with a working one from the donor. ... This false-colored electron micrograph shows a malaria sporozoite migrating through the midgut epithelia. ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... A diagram showing the CNS: 1. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Tsukuba (Japanese: つくば市; -shi; from Han character 筑波) is a planned city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. ... For other uses, see Osaka (disambiguation). ... Incorporated Village in 1903. ... Leiderdorp (population: 26,182 in 2004) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland near to the city of Leiden. ...

History

Fujisawa Shoten was started in 1894 by Tomokichi Fujisawa in Osaka, and was renamed Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co. in 1943. For other uses, see Osaka (disambiguation). ...

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. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Both companies started their overseas expansion at about 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 thereafter established its 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. Incorporated Village in 1903. ... Leiderdorp (population: 26,182 in 2004) is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland near to the city of Leiden. ...

Fujisawa and Yamanouchi combined in a "merger of equals", forming Astellas Pharma as from 1 April 2005. April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• (English) Astellas Pharma Inc.