The Pegasus Award for In-House Team of the Year

Summary of work

Astellas is a young company that's going places. Formed in 2005, the business is committed to becoming a global leader in disease areas where there is an urgent need for effective treatments. Already at the forefront of medicine in urology and organ transplantation, Astellas is now dedicated to developing an innovative oncology drugs portfolio to improve care for people with cancer. But like other nine-year-olds, the company is in a period of fast development as it grows in size, strength and coordination. 

All this sets a unique challenge for our four-strong European corporate communications team. How to make the most of the PR opportunities that come hand-in-hand with the company's ambitious R&D programme and vision, while nurturing and inspiring seedling communications capabilities around the region and affirming our position as an employer of choice. It's a job that needs passion, smart thinking and resourcefulness. And that is exactly what we delivered in 2013. Initiatives enhanced internal understanding and capabilities, championed responsible communications and harnessed the power of PR to build the profile of the company and its major new brands. Market research showed our team delivered corporate communications that outperformed the global pharma benchmark by a significant margin.

Judges comments

A fresh and enthusiastic team that demonstrated great engagement and a pragmatic approach to their business. There was a high level of creativity in everything they did and they should be encouraged to do more – this team is worth watching for the future.