Notice of Nominees for Directors

PR Newswire

TOKYO, May 7, 2025

TOKYO, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Naoki Okamura, "Astellas") today announced that during a meeting of its Board of Directors held today, it decided a change in Directors as outlined below. The appointment of Andreas Busch and Mark Enyedy as new candidates to be proposed at the 20th Term Annual Shareholders Meeting scheduled for June 19, 2025, represents a significant move in the company's continuous evolution, aimed at enhancing the diverse composition of our Board of Directors. Their extensive experience and insight into the global pharmaceutical industry will further strengthen the board's supervisory function and effectiveness. This decision reflects the voices from stakeholders, including shareholders. The change is subject to approval at the 20th Term Annual Shareholders Meeting and a subsequent decision at the Board of Directors meeting scheduled for the same day.

1. Candidates for Directors (excluding Directors who Are Audit & Supervisory Committee Members)

 
      Name                               Current Position (As of May 7) 
-----------------  --------------  ------------------------------------------- 
Kenji Yasukawa       Reelection    Representative Director, Chairman of the 
                                   Board 
-----------------  --------------  ------------------------------------------- 
Naoki Okamura        Reelection    Representative Director, President and CEO 
-----------------  --------------  ------------------------------------------- 
Katsuyoshi Sugita    Reelection    Representative Director, Executive Vice 
                                   President, Chief People Officer 
-----------------  --------------  ------------------------------------------- 
Takashi Tanaka        Outside      Director, Senior Advisor, KDDI CORPORATION 
                     Reelection    Director, Okinawa Cellular Telephone 
                                   Company 
-----------------  --------------  ------------------------------------------- 
Eriko Sakurai         Outside      Outside Director, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial 
                     Reelection    Group, Inc. Outside Director, Kao 
                                   Corporation Outside Director, Nippon Sheet 
                                   Glass Company, Ltd 
-----------------  --------------  ------------------------------------------- 
Masahiro Miyazaki     Outside      Outside Director, Kurita Water Industries 
                     Reelection    Ltd. 
-----------------  --------------  ------------------------------------------- 
Yoichi Ohno           Outside      Visiting Professor, Social Medicine, 
                     Reelection    Research Administration Center and Medical 
                                   Education Center, Saitama Medical 
                                   University 
-----------------  --------------  ------------------------------------------- 
Andreas Busch         Outside      Chief Innovation Officer, Absci Corporation 
                    New Candidate 
-----------------  --------------  ------------------------------------------- 
Mark Enyedy           Outside      Non-Executive Director, BioMarin 
                    New Candidate  Pharmaceutical Inc. 
-----------------  --------------  ------------------------------------------- 
 

The current position of the candidates for outside Directors describes significant concurrent positions at other organizations pursuant to the Companies Act.

2. Candidates for Directors who Are Audit & Supervisory Committee Members

 
   Name                    Current Position (As of May 7) 
-----------  -----------  -------------------------------- 
Rie Akiyama    Outside    Lawyer, Baba & Sawada Law Office 
              Reelection   Outside Director, GOLDWIN INC. 
-----------  -----------  -------------------------------- 
 

The current position of the candidates for outside Directors describes significant concurrent positions at other organizations pursuant to the Companies Act.

 
3.  The Board of Directors as from June 19, 2025 (planned) 
    Kenji Yasukawa (Representative Director, Chairman of the Board) 
    Naoki Okamura (Representative Director, President and CEO) 
    Katsuyoshi Sugita (Representative Director, Executive Vice President) 
    Takashi Tanaka (Outside Director) 
    Eriko Sakurai (Outside Director) 
    Masahiro Miyazaki (Outside Director) 
    Yoichi Ohno (Outside Director) 
    Andreas Busch (Outside Director) 
    Mark Enyedy (Outside Director) 
    Rika Hirota (Director, Audit & Supervisory Committee Member) 
    Mika Nakayama (Outside Director, Audit & Supervisory Committee Member) 
    Rie Akiyama (Outside Director, Audit & Supervisory Committee Member) 
    Tomoko Aramaki (Outside Director, Audit & Supervisory Committee Member) 
 

<Reference>

Brief Biographies of New Candidates for Outside Director

Name: Andreas Busch

Date of birth: August 26, 1963

Resume, position and responsibilities at the Company:

 
October 1997   Head of DG Cardiovascular Diseases, Hoechst Marion Roussel 
               (current Sanofi S.A.) 
January 1999   Vice President, Head of DG Cardiovascular Diseases, Aventis 
               (current Sanofi S.A.), 
July 2004      Global Head of Cardiovascular Research, Sanofi- Aventis 
               (current Sanofi S.A.) 
May 2005       Senior Vice President, Head of Discovery Europe, Bayer 
               HealthCare AG (current Bayer AG) 
January 2016   Head of Drug Discovery, Bayer Pharma AG (current Bayer AG) 
January 2018   Head of R&D and CSO, Shire plc 
April 2019     Chief Innovation Officer and CSO, Cyclerion Inc. 
               (current Cyclerion Therapeutics Inc.) 
February 2022  Non-Executive Director, Centogene N.V. (current Crown 
               LiquidationCo N.V.) 
October 2022   Chief Innovation Officer, Absci Corporation, (present post) 
 

Name: Mark Enyedy

Date of birth: December 27, 1963

Resume, position and responsibilities at the Company:

 
September 1990  Associate, Palmer & Dodge, LLP (current Locke Lord LLP) 
February 1996   Corporate Counsel, Genzyme Corporation (current Sanofi S.A.) 
November 1999   Vice President, Oncology, Business Development, Genzyme 
                Corporation (current Sanofi S.A.) 
July 2008       President, Transplant, Oncology, and Multiple 
                Sclerosis, Genzyme Corporation (current Sanofi S.A.) 
September 2011  Director, Chief Executive Officer, Proteostasis Therapeutics, 
                Inc. (current Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V.) 
July 2012       Non-Executive Director, Fate Therapeutics, Inc. 
August 2013     Head of Business Unit, Internal Medicine, Shire plc 
May 2014        Head of Corporate Development, Shire plc 
May 2016        Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, ImmunoGen 
                Inc. (current AbbVie Inc.) 
September 2017  Non-Executive Director, Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. 
                (current Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.) 
March 2020      Non-Executive Director, LogicBio Therapeutics, Inc. 
                (current Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) 
May 2021        Non-Executive Director, Ergomed Group Limited (present post) 
December 2023   Non-Executive Director, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (present 
                post) 
 

About Astellas

Astellas is a global life sciences company committed to turning innovative science into VALUE for patients. We provide transformative therapies in disease areas that include oncology, ophthalmology, urology, immunology and women's health. Through our research and development programs, we are pioneering new healthcare solutions for diseases with high unmet medical need. Learn more at www.astellas.com.

Cautionary Notes

In this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties.

Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice.

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SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 07, 2025 06:00 ET (10:00 GMT)