Japanese Merger Takes Jobs From N.J.

Two big Japanese drugmakers are merging -- and New Jersey is the loser. Next month, Yamanouchi Pharmaceuticals and Fujisawa Pharmaceuticals will form Astellas Pharma, and locate their U.S. headquarters in Fujisawa offices in Deerfield, Ill. As a result, about 20 Yamanouchi employees will leave Paramus, where the drugmaker opened offices in 2001, according to a company spokesman. And nearly 100 more employees will be out of work after most declined to transfer to the Chicago suburb.

The Star-Ledger (http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-0/1111643614249840.xml)