São Paulo, Brazil – April 8, 2015 – Astellas Farma Brasil was recognized as the number one place to work in the pharmaceutical industry. The ranking, prepared by the Great Place to Work Institute (GPTW), surveyed thousands of employees of the companies involved. For the second year, Astellas Farma Brasil was recognized for creating a culture that empowers its employees to focus on the needs of patients and customers while successfully balancing their personal lives and careers.

"Being honored by GPTW for two consecutive years is a testament to the effectiveness of our human resources practices. We had excellent results in our employee engagement surveys and human resources has a strategic role in the growth of Astellas in Brazil,” said Luiz Claudio Dutra, general manager of Astellas Farma Brasil. “We will continue to support business needs in terms of creating a suitable culture to attract, develop and retain top talent.”

"To be among the industry's greatest places to work in Brazil for the second consecutive year is all because of our employees," said Fátima Neri, director, Human Resources, at Astellas Farma Brasil. "One of our competitive advantages is the alignment of company and employee values, which are translated into our five messages: patient focus, enthusiasm, results, communication and integrity. These core values help us achieve results in a demanding environment.”

"I have been working at Astellas for three years and, in this time, I have received recognition and many opportunities for advancement,” says Marcos Marsula, regional sales manager at Astellas Farma Brasil. “The Astellas culture, leadership, and professionalism are what set the company apart. I am proud to be part of this team."

"We provide a variety of incentive programs designed to enhance the quality of life of our employees, such as the extension of maternity leave to six months and flexible schedules that promotes work life balance,” said Neri.

About Astellas Farma Brasil

Astellas Farma Brasil, an affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc., 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 its therapeutic focus areas by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities. The therapeutic areas of expertise in Brazil include dermatology, immunology, infectious disease, urology and, soon, oncology. For more information, visit http://www.astellasfarma.com.br/.

Astellas chose Brazil, the largest pharmaceutical market in the region, as its first affiliate in Latin America. Astellas is committed to expanding access of important pharmaceutical products to the Brazilian medical community and their patients.