Company Announcements

Notice of Nominees for Directors

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

Reelection

Director, Senior Advisor, KDDI CORPORATION

Director, Okinawa Cellular Telephone Company

Eriko Sakurai

Outside

Reelection

Outside Director, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.

Outside Director, Kao Corporation

Outside Director, Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Ltd

Masahiro Miyazaki

Outside

Reelection

Outside Director, Kurita Water Industries Ltd.

Yoichi Ohno

Outside

Reelection

Visiting Professor, Social Medicine, Research Administration Center and Medical Education Center, Saitama Medical University

Andreas Busch

Outside

New Candidate

Chief Innovation Officer, Absci Corporation

Mark Enyedy

Outside

New Candidate

Non-Executive Director, BioMarin 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

Reelection

Lawyer, Baba & Sawada Law Office

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.

Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/notice-of-nominees-for-directors-302448454.html

SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc.