NORTHBROOK, Ill., Sept. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas today announces the appointment of Andrew Lewis as head of communications for the company's Global Medical & Development (GMD) organization. Lewis will report directly to Jeff Winton, senior vice president, chief communications officer, and will serve on the corporate communications leadership team. Lewis' appointment is the latest phase in the building of a new Corporate Communications team under Winton's leadership.

The GMD organization is led by Sef Kurstjens, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer, and encompasses multiple functions, including clinical development, regulatory affairs, medical affairs and pharmacovigilance. The GMD organization was one of the first functional teams at Astellas to be globalized. It is headquartered in Northbrook, IL, with additional key sites in Tokyo, Japan, Leiden, Netherlands, and Chertsey, England.

In his new role, Lewis will oversee the development of internal and external communications strategies that reinforce the culture and mission of the GMD organization globally, and raise the profile of Astellas among key stakeholders. Lewis also will work closely with the Astellas Investor Relations team and regional communications teams to communicate the potential of the company's clinical development portfolio.

"We are thrilled to fill this important new position with someone of Andrew's diverse skill set and global experience," said Winton. "As the new communications team at Astellas continues to grow, Andrew will play a key role in telling the company's scientific and medical story globally, and ensuring that the GMD organization's communications goals are aligned with and advance the company's broader business goals."

Lewis has more than 15 years of broad communications experience. For the past decade, he has held global leadership positions in brand communications, employee and executive communications, investor relations, patient advocacy and public affairs at publicly traded biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, most recently at AbbVie. He previously worked for a boutique communications agency that focused on crisis and issues management. Lewis received an A.B. with special honors in English literature and language from the University of Chicago.

About Astellas
Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.us. You can also follow us on Twitter at @AstellasUS.

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SOURCE Astellas Pharma US, Inc.