PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., and NORTHBROOK, Ill., Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The PGA TOUR and Astellas Pharma US, Inc. ("Astellas"), a U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo: 4503), announced today a 3-year agreement in which Astellas will champion the PGA TOUR's commitment to its new Women's Initiative.

"The Women's Initiative is an innovative platform designed to enhance the tournament experience for women and engage women in a meaningful and productive way in our tournament markets," said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. "As a leading pharmaceutical company strongly committed to enhancing health, particularly in the area of urological wellness, Astellas is an ideal partner to help drive our Women's Initiative and connect with women in settings they are already seeking out. We are delighted to collaborate with Astellas on this important and exciting venture."

The Women's Initiative is designed to provide women with information that promotes their overall well-being. Astellas and the PGA TOUR are working together to inform women about important health and wellness issues, encourage discussion on those topics and create opportunities to talk and learn about them.

"Astellas is proud to be partnering with the PGA TOUR on the Women's Initiative, which aims to help women obtain meaningful health-related and general wellness information," said Masao Yoshida, President and CEO, Astellas Pharma US, Inc. "The PGA TOUR's commitment to enhancing health and wellness aligns well with the Astellas focus on empowering and encouraging dialogue about the health and wellness issues that are not discussed often, such as overactive bladder, which affects more than 46 million adults in the U.S."

Key components of the Astellas Women's Initiative will include:

• Astellas Presents Executive Women's Day—an expansion of the PGA TOUR's current Women's Day program that invites female business leaders from the community to attend a day-long forum focusing on professional, health-related and personal development discussions. Components include high-profile panelists, topic-specific breakout sessions, a keynote speaker and networking opportunities.
• Astellas Pavilion—an onsite experience and meeting place for tournament participants to engage and learn about wellness issues. These special "women-friendly" facilities will provide information and education.

These 2013 TOUR season components will span 17 tournaments, beginning with the first Astellas Presents Executive Women's Day event on Feb. 26 at The Honda Classic Tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

"We are very excited to embrace the new PGA TOUR Women's Initiative and thank Astellas for supporting this innovative program that will invite and attract new attendees to our events while educating them on their health and well-being," said Clair Petersen, tournament director of the John Deere Classic and chairman of the PGA TOUR Tournament Advisory Council.

About Astellas
Astellas Pharma US, Inc., located in Northbrook, Illinois, is a U.S. affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. The organization is committed to becoming a global category leader in focused areas by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities. For more information about Astellas Pharma US, Inc., please visit our website at www.astellas.us.   

The Astellas culture and brand is committed to building community, helping others, encouraging integrity and inspiring people to make a difference, today, tomorrow and every day.

About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world's premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamerica and PGA TOUR Canada.

The PGA TOUR's mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to nearly 945 million households in 225 countries and territories in 32 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2012, tournaments across all Tours generated more than $122 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR's all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.8 billion.

The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.com, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

SOURCE Astellas