Yamanouchi Europe

Astellas (formerly Yamanouchi Europe) was the European subsidiary of the Japanese pharmaceutical giant Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company established itself as a global leader in the urology market, primarily through the development of the blockbuster alpha-blocker tamsulosin for benign prostatic hyperplasia. In 2005, Yamanouchi merged with Fujisawa Pharmaceutical to form Astellas Pharma, creating one of the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical organizations. The merger combined Yamanouchi's strengths in urology and cardiology with Fujisawa's leadership in immunology and dermatology. Today, the legacy of Yamanouchi Europe continues through Astellas Pharma Europe, which maintains significant R&D and manufacturing operations across the region.