Indian Companies Are Becoming More Creative, Says Astellas India Managing Director Teruo Yasufuku: An Interview With PharmAsia News

Teruo Yasufuku, managing director for Astellas Pharma India, is soft-spoken and carefully measures every answer that he shares with the media. But the law graduate who started his career as a medical representative with Fujisawa in 1983 has been recognized for his leadership skills and the enthusiasm to be the best in the business. Terry, as he is called by his Indian industry contemporaries, can tirelessly talk about Prograf (tacrolimus) - Astellas' flagship transplant brand that notches worldwide sales upwards of $2 billion many years after it has been copied by generic companies. Yasufuku, along with his marketing director Himanshu Dave, proudly point at the back of their business cards, which say 'I Pledge To Donate - kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, corneas.' This, Yasufuku asserts, is Astellas' unflinching commitment to the transplant segment. And, although it is a late entrant and faces intense generic competition, Prograf has a long roadmap laid out for growth in India. Yasufuku shares his wide angle on Astellas' India strategy with PharmAsia News India bureau.