NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc. ("APGD"), a subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc. based in Tokyo, Japan, welcomes Claire Thom, Pharm.D., as senior vice president of the global oncology development. Thom will report to Sef Kurstjens, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at Astellas, and will replace Dr. Wayne Klohs who recently retired.

"We're thrilled that Claire is joining our experienced oncology team at Astellas," said Kurstjens. "We believe that her unique background and varied experience, along with her approach to leadership and management will support our mission to become a global category leader in oncology."

Thom has more than 24 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry across a wide range of functional areas including drug development, new product planning and marketing. Most recently she served as Senior VP Portfolio Management, Drug Development Management and Strategic Business Operations at Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago where she earned a bachelor's degree and Doctorate of Pharmacy.

About Astellas Pharma Global Development
Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc., located in Northbrook, Illinois, is a member of the Astellas group of companies. 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 Inc., please visit the website at www.astellas.com/en/.  

SOURCE Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc.