OREANDA-NEWS.  Astellas Pharma Inc. (President and CEO: Yoshihiko Hatanaka, “Astellas”) today announced that the "Flying Star Fund," a social contribution fund run by its employees, will donate 6 wheelchair vans to 6 welfare facilities in Japan.

The Flying Star Fund was launched as a small but sustainable social contribution activity by Astellas' employees to create a fund that allows donors to contribute to the health and wellbeing of people in Japan. Astellas employees can voluntarily join to donate 100 yen every month from their wages. Astellas matches the same amount of money donated by employees to donate wheelchair vans and grant funding1) once a year.

Since 1997, Astellas has donated several wheelchair vans every year through this program as a social contribution activity. A total of 189 wheelchair vans including the 6 vans to be donated this year, have been donated to welfare institutions throughout Japan.

The 6 wheelchair vans will be donated to the following institutions:

- Azumappe in Ishikawa-gun, Fukushima Prefecture

- Pensées -no-kai in Ina-shi, Nagano Prefecture

- Alm-no-ie in Tajimi-shi, Gifu Prefecture

- Mommy·Care·Support-tomo-no-kaze in Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture

- Boa-Vuib in Takarazuka-shi, Hyogo Prefecture

- Cosmos Yume-Koubou, Cosmos Group in Tosu-shi, Saga Prefecture

About the wheelchair vans to be donated

Out of the 6 vehicles to be donated this time, 2 are minivans equipped with a folding wheelchair ramp and an electric winch to pull a wheelchair passenger into the vehicle, and 4 vans can pull 2 wheelchair passengers at a time using the same function. (Attached photo) The facilities to receive these vehicles have been selected from those that help people with physical disabilities lead more independent private and work lives. The vehicles will be used to provide ridings for wheelchair users between home and the facilities or during excursions.

About Astellas

Astellas Pharma Inc., based in Tokyo, Japan, is a company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. We focus on Urology, Oncology, Immunology, Nephrology and Neuroscience as prioritized therapeutic areas while advancing new therapeutic areas and discovery research leveraging new technologies/modalities. We are also creating new value by combining internal capabilities and external expertise in the medical/healthcare business. Astellas is on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into value for patients.