Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., 'Astellas') and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. (President and CEO: Yasuo Miyakawa, 'BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment') today announced that the two companies have entered into an agreement to co-develop an exercise support application for smartphones and other devices to support regular exercise, through the provision of scientifically evidenced exercise programs with game elements, for planned pilot marketing.

In October 2018, Astellas and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment entered into an agreement and have co-developed an exercise support application for the purposes of medical and health research . Under the terms of the newly executed agreement, the two companies will advance co-development of the application for pilot marketing etc. as follows, based upon the results obtained thus far.

Implementation of medical and health research by Astellas:

Astellas is conducting a medical and health research using the application co-developed by the two companies for medical and health research in accodance with the Ethical Guidelines for Medical and Health Research Involving Human Subjects. This medical and health research will evaluate the effect of an excercise program that combines aerobic and resistance exercises (repetitive exercises that exert resistance on target muscles) provided by the application on an individual's body by assessing indicators such as changes in visceral fat area.

Co-development of application for pilot marketing: The two companies will co-develop the application for planned pilot marketing. The objective of the co-development is to build upon the application used for the above medical and health research by improving 'user experience' and 'user interface' to seek continuity and habituation of exercises so that users will personally take interest and start using the application and continue the exercises. This will be accomplished through leveraging game development know-how by combining fun and exercise.

Astellas and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment will decide whether they start the pilot marketing of the application based on the results of the scientific evaluation of the exercise programs in the above-mentioned medical and health research.

About Astellas

Astellas Pharma Inc., based in Tokyo, Japan, is a company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products.

About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. delivers various products and services catering to a worldwide audience in areas such as Network Content, Home Video Game Software, Events and Brand Merchandise based on its IP (Intellectual Property) Axis. BNE gives shape to 'a new type of fun' with amazing ideas and newer technology unavailable elsewhere. Furthermore, BNE makes ordinary everyday life more enjoyable and aims to realize 'more fun for everyone' that allows customers throughout the world to keep smiling.

Astellas Cautionary Notes

In this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties.

Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice.

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