São Paulo, Brazil, June 28, 2016 - Astellas Farma Brasil (AFB) has placed #3 among the best companies to work for in the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry, according to the Great Place to Work® Institute’s latest rankings. The results are based on a survey of hundreds of pharmaceutical industry employees across Brazil.

The Great Place to Work Institute is a global human resources consulting, research and training firm. Its Great Place to Work® model is based on 25 years of research and data collected through its Trust Index© employee survey, which is taken by over 10 million employees annually worldwide.

"This recognition marks the third time Astellas has been named a top pharma industry work place in Brazil,” said Luiz Claudio Dutra, general manager, Astellas Farma Brasil. “This is a significant achievement for our company, and further validation of our efforts to create a best-in-class environment for employees.”

In 2015, AFB was honored by the Great Place to Work Institute as the number one place to work in the pharmaceutical industry and one of the top 20 small- to medium-sized companies to work for across all industries. AFB has increased its workforce by more than 30 percent in Brazil this past year driven by a strong culture based on the “The Astellas Way” – a philosophy that emphasizes a commitment to patients, ownership, results, openness and integrity.

AFB also recognizes the importance of balance between personal and professional life, and offers a number of programs to enhance quality of life for employees, including flexible hours. Recently, AFB was named one of the top scoring healthcare companies in IMS Health’s Development Index, which recognizes ethical pharmaceutical and hospital organizations.

“At Astellas, we believe that our culture is our competitive advantage,” said Fatima Neri, director of Human Resources, AFB. “Our passion, sense of purpose and respect for each other inspires bold performance and helps us retain and recruit the best employees.”

About Astellas Farma Brasil
Astellas Farma Brasil, an affiliate of Astellas Pharma Inc located in Tokyo, Japan, is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. Astellas Farma Brasil focuses on Urology, Oncology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases as prioritized therapeutic areas. Astellas is on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into value for patients. For more information on Astellas Farma Brasil, please visit: http://www.astellasfarma.com.br.