NORTHBROOK, Ill., April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas US LLC, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo: 4503), announced Jeffrey D. Bloss, M.D., has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs Americas, Astellas Scientific and Medical Affairs (ASMA), effective April 1. Bloss will serve as a member of the Astellas US Management Committee.

"Jeff has been a key partner and thought leader to the Global Medical Affairs function since joining Astellas in 2012," said Masao Yoshida, CEO, Astellas US LLC. "We're thrilled to promote Jeff to his new role as SVP of Medical Affairs for the Americas for ASMA."

Since coming to Astellas in October of 2012, Bloss has been responsible for leading the America's Regional Medical Affairs function, including Medical Information and Publications, Therapeutic Area Medical Directors, Medical Scientific Liaisons, Health Economy and Clinical Outcomes Research, Independent Medical Education and Medical Affairs Operations.  Bloss has also assumed direct oversight of the Medical Affairs functions in Canada and Brazil, and he has established strong collaborations with other functions throughout the company to optimize medical/scientific value across the product lifecycle. 

Prior to joining Astellas, Bloss was Vice President and Head of Oncology Global Medical Affairs at GlaxoSmith Kline, and he served in various leadership roles at Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech and Onyx Pharmaceuticals.

About Astellas
Astellas US LLC, located in Northbrook, Illinois, is an 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. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.us.

SOURCE Astellas US LLC