OREANDA-NEWS. Astellas Pharma Inc. (President and CEO: Yoshihiko Hatanaka, “Astellas”) today announced that it has been selected as a Nadeshiko Brand component by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). This honor has been given for excellence in promoting the involvement of women in the workplace as a listed company.

Nadeshiko Brands for FY2015 were selected from companies listed on the 1st and 2nd sections of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Mothers Index and JASDAQ. Major criteria in the selection process were enhancing female participation in terms of advancing women’s careers and support for work-life-balance, as well as ROE (Return on Equity) in the last 3 years.

Astellas has actively promoted diversity in order to embrace a wide range of ideas in its business and further foster creativity. In doing so, Astellas respects a broad array of values while providing equal opportunities to all employees regardless of their race, nationality, gender, age or disability. In Japan, to enhance diversity and inclusion efforts, Astellas has prioritized providing an environment conducive to the career advancement of women. As a part of the initiative, Astellas has advanced the Women’s Innovative Network for Diversity (WIND) project. As a result of instituting programs designed to enhance women’s career awareness and improving systems for enabling employees to continue their careers even in cases of major life events, more women are playing crucial roles at Astellas including the increased number of female managers.

Selection as a Nadeshiko Brand shows that Astellas’ efforts have been highly evaluated and recognized. As a company of choice favored by various stakeholders, Astellas seeks to achieve sustainable growth of corporate value through continuously focusing on promoting diversity and inclusion.

Astellas is the first pharmaceutical company to be named to both Diversity Management Selection 100 and Nadeshiko Brand. Astellas received the Diversity Management Selection 100 award in March 2014.

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.