Japan's Astellas to Withdraw From Medical Product Business

Astellas Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Japan's second-largest drugmaker, said it has decided to withdraw from the medical product business to focus on prescription drugs. In line with the decision, the company, which was created only in April by the merger of Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co Ltd and Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, will stop selling reagents used in research and development and transfer these operations to Becton Dickinson and Co's Japanese unit by the end of September.

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