Astellas Pharma Inc. has decided to withdraw from its Medical Supplies and Systems Business along with the corporate strategy to concentrate on the ethical pharmaceutical business.

Among the products of this category currently handled by Astellas, products of Becton, Dickinson and Company and Abbott Laboratories shall be transferred to the Japanese subsidiaries of respective companies as of the end of September this year. The future of other products shall be determined, a release stated here.

The business with annual sales around 3.5 billion in yen and about 50 employees has its origin in the former Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which merged with Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to form Astellas on April 1, 2005. A part of the employees are expected to move to the Japanese subsidiary of Becton, Dickinson and Company.