Pharma division chief to head Kirin Brewery Co

Japan's Kirin Brewery Co has announced that Koichiro Aramaki, head ofthe group's pharmaceuticals division, is to replace Yasuhiro Sato as company president. Mr Sato takes over the vacant position of chairman.

Kirin's share of the Japanese beer market has dropped from 60% to below 40% in recent years, while sales of the pharmaceuticals division are forecast at 43 billion yen ($369.5 million) for the year to December 2000, reports the Nikkei Weekly. The newspaper also speculates as to whether Kirin will, under Mr Aramaki's leadership, invest more in pharmaceuticals and health foods, noting that he could even decide that continued efforts to remain at the top of the domestic beer market are no longer worth the struggle.

Kirin's three-year business plan for 2001-2003 envisages annual pharmaceutical sales of 50 billion yen by the end of the period, and includes acceleration of projects involving human antibodies and cell therapy, notes Pharma Japan. The plan also includes the early launch of KRN321, the successor to Espo (epoetin alfa), for which applications are pending in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia.