Deerfield, Ill., April 1, 2005—Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. officially combined operations today into a new corporation named Astellas Pharma Inc. The merged company ranks among the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies. In the U.S., Astellas will operate commercially under the name Astellas Pharma US, Inc. with headquarters located in Deerfield, Ill., becoming a larger presence in the growing pharmaceutical industry in Illinois.

These two Japanese pharmaceutical organizations, founded in 1894 and 1923 respectively, have complementary health care expertise, products, practices and business models. This compatibility allows the newly formed Astellas Pharma US, Inc. to place greater emphasis on product discovery and development in its current therapeutic areas—immunology, infectious disease, dermatology, urology and cardiovascular disease.

“As Astellas, we will build on nearly two centuries of collective experience to create a unique place in the U.S. pharmaceutical landscape where true innovation is valued and rewarded,” said Makoto Nishimura, Ph.D., chairman and CEO of Astellas Pharma US, Inc. “We will continue to focus our efforts on developing breakthrough pharmaceutical products that meet the greatest unmet medical needs of patients.”

Astellas’ focus will be on developing breakthrough products in the areas of immunology, infectious disease, dermatology, urology and cardiovascular disease while continuing to explore unmet needs in other areas. The company will continue to support its mainstay, prescription products including Prograf® for the prevention and treatment of organ rejection after liver and kidney transplants, VESIcare® for the treatment of overactive bladder, Protopic®, for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, Adenoscan® a pharmacologic stress agent, AmBisome® for the treatment of invasive fungal infections, and Flomax®, for the treatment of functional symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. In May, Mycamine™ will be the first product launched under the Astellas name for the treatment of candida fungal infections.

“We believe that our long-term strategy for growing established franchise businesses will distinguish us as a company focused on developing breakthrough treatments rather than only blockbuster products. Our core medical franchises, world-class technology, depth of resources and highly-educated, hard-working people support the top quality that physicians and patients trust, and can expect from the Astellas name,” said Dr. Nishimura. The Astellas worldwide headquarters is located in Tokyo. Astellas’ North American operations will be based in Chicago, Ill., with European regional offices based in London, U.K. Additional Asian operations are located in China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia.

More company and product information is available at astellas.com/us. Astellas Pharma US, Inc. and the Astellas group of companies in the U.S. are subsidiaries of Astellas Pharma Inc., located in Tokyo, a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. In April 2005, the company was formed through the merger of Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The organization is committed to becoming a global mega pharmaceutical company by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities and continuing to grow in the world pharmaceutical market.

FLOMAX® is distributed by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.