Astellas Pharma Broadens Drug R&D Scope
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Astellas Pharma will place its priority on patent drug R&D and has identified six therapeutic areas to concentrate on: organ transplantation immunosuppressive/inflammation, urology, infectious disease, central nervous system/pain, diabetes and oncology. Last year, Astellas China concentrated mainly on transplantation immunosuppressive and urinary diseases, chalking up a 46 percent increase in sales. However, key immunosuppressive product Prograf (tacrolimus), which contributed half its total revenue, saw below-industry-average performance. Analysts observe that Astellas has to extend its focus from organ transplantation drugs to other fields due to restrictions imposed by China's Organ Transplantation Legislation and the small domestic market demand. (Click here for more - Chinese Language)