OREANDA-NEWS. March 29, 2016. Astellas Pharma Inc. (President and CEO: Yoshihiko Hatanaka, “Astellas”) and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (President and Representative Director: Masayuki Mitsuka, “Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma”) today announced that the companies concluded an agreement for the share of their respective approximately 250,000 compounds selected from their respective compound libraries, including a significant number of proprietary synthetic compounds. This alliance enables each company to further accelerate drug discovery research of innovative new drugs.

This alliance allows each company to access qualitatively different and original compound library held by the other company - which have been aggregated respectively based on each company’s independent research strategy - allowing both companies to implement broader High Throughput Screening (HTS)1) to increase opportunities to discover compounds which will reach to new drug seeds.

For a period of five years from April 1, 2016, this alliance will enable each company to freely implement broad HTS using the compounds received from the other company. In line with this alliance, each company will disclose sufficient information to enable the other company to implement HTS independently.

If one of the companies identifies a lead compound, that company will have a right to further research, develop and commercialize such compound without any restriction of the indication such as human diseases and diagnosis pursuant to the terms of agreement.

Through this alliance, Astellas and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma aim to effectively utilize both parties’ assets and knowledge and accelerate open innovation while taking advantage of their own strengths to place innovative new drugs on the market.

1) A method of high-speed screening of molecules that respond to potential drug targets from an extremely large number of compounds, through an automation. HTS plays an important role in early drug discovery and is an effective technique for finding good candidate compounds that lead to new drugs.

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. For more information, please visit our website at www.astellas.com/en.

About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation is a research-driven pharmaceutical company of which Head Office based in Dosho-machi Osaka where the birthplace of Japan’s pharmaceutical industry. Based on our philosophy “We contribute to the healthier lives of people around the world through the creation of pharmaceuticals”, we formulated the “Medium-Term Management Plan 16-20: Open Up the Future.” We are taking on the challenge of drug discovery that address unmet medical needs in the fields of priority disease areas; “autoimmune disorders,” “diabetes and kidney diseases,” “central nervous system diseases” and “vaccines.” To those ends, we contribute to the healthier lives of people around the world. http://www.mt-pharma.co.jp/e