Corporate ProfileWe will continue to take on challenges in our own
unique style with the aim of becoming a highly
competitive specialty pharma company.
Since its founding in 1920, ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. hascreated and provided pharmaceuticals with value that can address
medical needs to realize its corporate philosophy to “Contributetoward the improvement of people’s health and progress in medicine
through the development of innovative products.” ASKA aims tobecome a highly competitive specialty pharma company in the threecore areas of internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn)and urology.
We also focus on niche areas where there are clear medical needs
that are not being addressed by major pharmaceutical companies.
Remaining constantly aware of changes in the clinical environment
as we contribute to society with higher quality rather than quantity:
I believe that is where ASKA’s unique value lies.
ASKA will continue to achieve sustainable growth primarily byproviding pharmaceuticals in its three core areas. Of these three areas,
we place a greater focus on Ob/Gyn as a company that supports
women’s health, as well as more comfortable lifestyles and moreproductive life stages for women.
In addition, we have been involved with generic drugs for sometime, but substantial energy is required to secure earnings in thisbusiness, particularly in light of the need to deal with an increasingly
stringent drug pricing system. In terms of the growth and developmentof the company, we believe it would be better to devote that energy to
the development of new drugs, and we intend to expand our fields ofexpertise to include licensed products in addition to those developed
in-house.
We look forward to your understanding and support as ASKA
continues to take on challenges.

Takashi Yamaguchi
President, Representative Director
ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

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Corporate ProfileASKA’s Strengths
A sense of mission to deliver pharmaceuticals with value as long as medical needs exist is part of our DNA as a pioneer inhormone preparations. From ASKA’s past and present into its future, this DNA is ingrained in every employee throughout thecompany’s value chain (including research, development, production, sales and reliability assurance), and drives them to take on
the challenge of addressing medical needs. By leveraging these strengths, we aim to create value unique to ASKA.

Development
capabilities

Researchstrengths

with ahigh affinity for
medical needs

based on hormone
preparation technologies

ASKA’sDNA
Production
capacity

A sales force
with a high level ofexpertise that collects andprovides information

to stably provide
high-quality
pharmaceuticals

Three Core Areas
Since its founding in 1920, ASKA has established its technologies and a strong presence through the ongoing research,
manufacture and sale of hormone preparations. As a result, we have enhanced our status as a specialty pharma company thatdelivers a higher level of value-added products in the three core areas of internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn),and urology. Among these three core areas, we are demonstrating greater expertise and expanding our product lineup in Ob/Gynto support the empowerment of women.

Ob/GynInternal medicine

Drugs that contribute to improvement in women’s
men s
Treatments for hepatic encephalopathy and various
Treatquality of life including oral contraceptives, emergency
stomach and intestinal conditions. Treatments forency
stomrual
hypcontraceptives, and drugs related to various menstrual
hyperlipidemia,hypertension, and a variety of drugs
relatedto endocrine disorders such as thyroid
erreconditions, as well as ovulatory drugs and otherInternalddisease.
ASKA has a large domestic market sharefertility treatments for those hoping to become
medicine
Digestive organs(98%)
inthyroid treatments.
pregnant, treatments for uterine myoma andOb/GynthyroidThree andglands
endometriosis, and agents to aid in management
Core Areasof pregnancy and birth.
Urology

Urology
Treatments for prostate cancer patients, who are increasing in number
annually due to the graying of society and the impact of more westernizeddiets, and use of techniques derived from our traditional hormone
preparations, including drugs for dysuria and incontinence and drugs to treat
a variety of conditions caused by a decline in male hormone levels.

Corporate Profile

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ASKA’s Initiatives

Research and Development
Enhancing R&D Capabilities to Continuously Create New High-Value Drugs
Based on its corporate philosophy to “Contribute toward the(Shonan iPark) in 2020. This has created a research system that

improvement of people’s health and progress in medicine throughcan respond flexibly to rapid advances in technology, andthe development of innovative products,” ASKA is enhancing its

strengthened cooperation with external parties. Our development

research and development capabilities to continuously create newactivities focus on our core areas of internal medicine, obstetrics

high-value drugs that can address unmet medical needs. We haveand gynecology (Ob/Gyn) and urology. We are also working tocreated many highly original products in-house utilizing ourdevelop products that will contribute strongly to health in nicheadvanced technologies and accumulated years of experience inareas and rare diseases. To conduct efficient and effective

sex hormones and endocrinology, as well as our dedication todevelopment, we carry out forward-looking alliance activities with

open innovation. To further promote open innovation, wepartners in Japan and overseas with the aim of delivering usefulrelocated our research center to Shonan Health Innovation Park

new treatments to patients as quickly as possible.

Activities at the research center

Shonan Research Center

Meeting with physicians

Production
Production and Supply under a Comprehensive Quality Control System
Pharmaceutical
Phti l companies are required to ensure the efficacy,

we established in India to manufacture pharmaceuticals will begin

safety, high quality and stable supply of their pharmaceuticals.

operations. We have also constructed and begun operation of a

In conducting production activities, all ASKA employees are

fourth pharmaceutical manufacturing building at the Iwaki Factory.

constantly mindful of the important mission of providing

We are building a global network with the establishment of apharmaceuticals that directly impact human life and health,system that can provide high-quality pharmaceuticals at low cost.

and work together diligently to fulfill this mission.
In addition to complying with Good Manufacturing Practice

ASKA strives for continuous technological innovation, and is
working to further improve productivity and reduce manufacturing(GMP) and other standards at our Iwaki Factory, we havecosts as part of its efforts to ensure a stable supply of high-quality,

established a comprehensive quality control system in our ongoingsafe pharmaceuticals.

efforts to ensure high quality at all times. In 2020, a joint ventureQuality control building (Iwaki Factory)

3Corporate Profile

Fourth pharmaceutical manufacturing building (Iwaki Factory)

Providing Drug Information
MRs with High-Level Expertise Provide Information That Contributes to Treatment
Pharmaceuticals
Phi l didirectly impact human life and health. For theirproper use, it is therefore essential that doctors and pharmacists
are provided with information on efficacy, safety and quality in a
prompt and accurate manner. This is one of the most importantroles of medical representatives (MRs). ASKA is working to develop
MRs with high-level expertise and high ethical standards, and has
introduced an up-to-the-minute support system to help themprovide high-quality drug information.

Highlight

Providing Drug Information through Multiple Channels

In addition to the activities of its MRs, ASKA conducts a wide range of activities to provide
drug information through multiple channels, including by conducting numerous web-based
seminars. In FY2019, we held more than 20 of these webinars in the areas of Ob/Gyn and liverdiseases. The webinars have received a total of about 8,000 views from healthcare providers.
The advantage of webinars is that they can widely disseminate information on the proper useof medicines to busy healthcare providers, as well as to a broader target group. We willcontinue to proactively conduct webinars in conjunction with the activities of MRs. In addition,
we have set up a dedicated membership section for healthcare providers on our company
website to provide appropriate and useful information.

Notices foror seminars

Reliability AssuranceContinuously Enhancing Quality Assurance and Safety Monitoring Systems
To ensure thT
thatt patients
tiand healthcare providers are able to use
our pharmaceuticals with peace of mind, it is crucial to vigilantly
monitor their quality and safety even after their launch, and to
take appropriate and prompt measures when necessary. The Law

Quality Assurance and Safety Monitoring
Systems and Information Flowon Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices requires strict controls toensure quality and safety. Standards for control of pharmaceuticals

The three officers within Marketing Authorization
Holders of Medical Products

and other products have been established, including Good Quality

MarketingSupervisorGeneral

Practice (GQP) for quality and Good Vigilance Practice (GVP) forpost-marketing safety.
ASKA complies with these and other related laws, regulations

Quality AssuranceManagerSafety Control
Managerand standards. As a pharmaceutical Marketing Authorization
Holder, ASKA strives for close cooperation with its three key
officers tasked with overseeing relevant activities and related
departments. We are also enhancing employee training,

Manufacturing
sites

Call Center

Sales Division

Patients/Users

Medicalinstitutions

strengthening our quality system and safety measures, andpromoting proper use of pharmaceuticals. In addition, we collectand evaluate quality and safety information on our drugs frompatients, medical institutions and manufacturing sites, and takeappropriate measures based on evaluations. By doing so, weconduct effective quality and safety control and work tocontinuously improve our pharmaceutical quality.
Corporate Profile4

ASKA’s History

For as long as medical needs have existed,
we have remained constantly aware ofchanges in the clinical environment inorder to fulfill our mission of delivering
pharmaceuticals with value.

Management Vision

Becomea highly competitive
We celebrated our centenary in 2020, but the DNA at our core
specialty pharma company
has never changed and never will.
Main SDG Initiatives
We prioritize initiatives for the following six
items among the 17 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) adopted by the U.N., based on2020

the role that ASKA should play.

Celebrating Our
Centenary
Further advancing operations
Decided to relocate the research center inKawasaki to the Shonan Health Innovation Park(Shonan iPark) to strengthen its drug discovery
functions in order to further step up operations.

2018

Taking on the next stage

2016

Started ASKA PLAN 2020 in 2016. By positioning the company
for “emerging as a specialty pharma company and establishing
the foundations for sustained growth,” the plan aims to make
ASKA “a specialty pharma company with a strong presence.”

Formation of ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

2005

Completed the head office building in 2001. Merged with Grelan
Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in 2005 to form ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Strengthened new drug development and made a full-scale move into
generic pharmaceuticals.

Diversification of management andlaunch of major new products

1980

Enhanced our position as a specialty pharma company focused on the three coreareas of internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn), and urology.
Involved in clinical testing, pharmaceutical raw materials, food, medical
instruments and other businesses. Opened the Iwaki Factory in 1980.

Established a business foundation and went public

1955

Rebuilt the head office and factory after the Second World War,established new research and production facilities and enhanced the sales
structure to launch a series of new products. Entered the veterinary
medicine business. Listed shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1955.

Founded as a pharmaceutical company
Founder Yasohachi Yamaguchi established Teikoku Hormone Research Institute inMinamiyoshidacho, Yokohama in 1920. Began research, manufacture and sale ofhormone preparations based on the unique idea of creating useful medicinesfrom animal organs.

1920
Origins in research,
manufacture andsale of hormone
preparations

As a pioneer in hormone preparations, a sense ofmission to deliver pharmaceuticals with value as longas medical needs exist

Deeply rooted DNA that has not changed in a century of doing business

5Corporate Profile

Head office of ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Shonan Research CenterIwaki Factory
5-1 Shibaura 2-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8532 Japan
Phone: 81-3-5484-8361
Fax: 81-3-5484-8351
https://www.aska-pharma.co.jp/english/2020.4