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## Fiscal 2013 Initiatives 

As part of CSR-based management, Astellas aims to generate sustained growth by creating innovative drugs and delivering them to patients. We actively undertake CSR activities across the five fields of Economy (business activities), Employees, Society, Environment and Compliance, which we consider to be the foundation for the other fields. This section introduces some of the specific activities that we conducted in fiscal 2013, considering them from various aspects. 

## Economy (BUSInESS AcTIVITIES) 

## L R&D Initiatives 

## Drug Discovery Research: Challenge for Innovation 

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Since May 2013, we have reshaped Astellas’ drug discovery research functions and reinforced the research management structure. These changes have enabled more dynamic man- agement of our research organization, while further enhanced our expertise, clarifying roles within the organization and re- allocating functions. 

Another important aspect of this reorganization has been the creation of a network-style research system that aims to promote an open approach to innovation in drug discovery. We are engaging in dynamic research activities by deploying cut- ting-edge science, utilizing distinguished internal and external talents, and adapting the most suitable locations worldwide. 

Under this structure, we aim to actively utilize state-of-the-art external technologies, as we attempt to enter new therapeutic areas and adopt new platform technologies for drug discovery. In fiscal 2013, we formed alliances with bio-ventures in the fields of skeletal muscle disease, mitochondrial disorders and oncology. As part of adopting new platform technologies, we established a unit for regenerative medicine in Drug Discovery Research. This unit promotes research in cell therapies that treat patients by taking advantage of the diversity of cells and their advanced functionality. 

At the same time, we continued to channel research efforts into our focus therapeutic areas of urology, immunology (including transplantation) & infectious diseases, oncology, neuroscience and diabetes mellitus (DM) complications & kidney diseases. In these areas too, we are advancing multiple promising compounds to clinical stages. 

Our R&D reforms are steadily generating results. On top of pursuing research in our existing focus therapeutic areas, we also promote a network-style research framework to acquire external innovation timely and further develop our capability in new therapeutic areas and drug discovery platform technologies. 

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