- Expiration of the Joint Research Agreement with the University of Edinburgh -

Japan, April 24, 2006 - Astellas Pharma Inc. ("Astellas"; headquarters: Tokyo; President and CEO: Toichi Takenaka) has today announced that it decided not to continue its Astellas CNS research in Edinburgh following the expiration of the third-phase joint research agreement with the University of Edinburgh in March 2007.

Astellas (formerly Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) concluded a collaboration agreement with the University of Edinburgh in 1989 for drug-target discovery research and pharmacological research in the CNS field, followed by the establishment of the Fujisawa Institute of Neuroscience in Edinburgh* within the university in 1992. Astellas has conducted pharmacological studies in the field of CNS as well as promoting various collaborative research projects through this research center. Results of its successful research were published in various medical journals and at scientific meetings and have contributed to Astellas' research and development in the CNS field.

Since its establishment in April 2005, Astellas has been reviewing its research functions. As part of this effort in the CNS field, research functions conducted in Edinburgh have been transferred to Astellasf Miyukigaoka Research Center in Tsukuba, where the research infrastructure in the CNS field has been consolidated. For this reason, Astellas has decided to close Astellas CNS research in Edinburgh following the expiration of the joint research agreement with the University of Edinburgh in March 2007.

*Renamed to Astellas CNS research in Edinburgh in 1st April, 2005.

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