is a Japanese pharmaceutical company, formed on 1 April 2005 from the merger of and .

Astellas' franchise areas are urology, immunology (transplantation), dermatology, cardiology, and infectious disease. Priority areas for R&D are infectious diseases, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, oncology, and diseases of the central nervous system.

The company's headquarters are in Tokyo, with researchcenters in Tsukuba and Osaka. Clinical development is centred in Deerfield, Illinois and Leiderdorp, Netherlands. Combined revenues of the two pre-merger companies were $7.9 billion in 2004. Worldwide the company employs about 17,000 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 in 1923 by Kenji Yamanouchi in Osaka. The company was renamed Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co. in 1940 and moved to Tokyo in 1942.

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 center in Deerfield, Illinois. Yamanouchi's R&D center 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 on 1 April 2005.

At least some of its older products continue to be distributed under the original brand, ostensibly due to high brand-name recognition.^[1]

On June 9, 2010, Astellas acquired OSI Pharmaceuticals for $4.0 billion.

Products

Some of the key products produced by Astellas include:

• Prograf (tacrolimus) - Prevention of post-transplant organ rejection
• Protopic (tacrolimus ointment) - Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
• Amevive (alefacept) - Plaque psoriasis
• VESIcare (solifenacin succinate) - Overactive bladder (OAB)
• Flomax (tamsulosin hydrochloride) - Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
• Adenocard (adenosine injection) - Pharmacologic stress agent for myocardial perfusion scan
• Adenoscan (adenosine injection) - Pharmacologic stress agent for myocardial perfusion scan
• Lexiscan (regadenoson injection) - Pharmacologic stress agent for myocardial perfusion scan
• Vaprisol (conivaptan) - Hyponatremia
• AmBisome (amphotericin B) - Anti-fungal
• Mycamine (micafungin sodium) - Anti-fungal
• Vibativ (telavancin) - Antibiotic
• Sumavel DosePro (sumatriptan needle-free injection) - Migraine
• Symoron (methadone HCL) - narcotics misuse cessation
• Tarceva (erlotinib) - non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer

References

• Astellas Annual Report 2007

External links

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