September, 2023
In July 2023, Eisai’s research and development organization, DHBL, invited a person living with early-onset Alzheimer’s and his family to Tsukuba Research Laboratories for an opportunity to interact with researchers, as part of our hhc activities.
Mr. Kinoshita, at age 56, is living in San Jose, California, and was a researcher at pharmaceutical companies who had long been engaged in drug discovery, mainly in cancer research.
At the discussion, Mr. Kinoshita shared his experience as a researcher and recent experience of cognitive decline that led to his medical exams and resulting diagnosis as early-onset Alzheimer’s as well as his thoughts and feelings over the process.
In response to Mr. Kinoshita’s prior request, Eisai presented an explanation on the current status of Alzheimer’s Disease drug development as well as treatments and surrounding environment of the disease.
Researchers from Eisai also asked Mr. Kinoshita questions regarding his stress from the results of cognitive function tests, how difficult it has been to get access to the treatment, and his thoughts on the impact of medicines on BPSD (behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia).
Although the duration of the discussion was limited, employees were able to engage in close dialogue about how Mr. Kinoshita cares about the negative impacts and stress of the disease on not just himself but also his family, how complicated insurance systems are in the U.S. where Mr. Kinoshita lives, and the situation for people with dementia and their families. The opportunity left a strong and multifaceted impression on employees engaging in drug discovery.
Following the round table discussion, the entire family, including Mr. Kinoshita’s child, watched a video about the latest research systems, after which the family toured Tsukuba Research Laboratories which completed renovation work in April 2023.
We later received a message from Mr. Kinoshita, shown below, which brought us a precious opportunity to reaffirm our responsibilities as employees of a pharmaceutical company.
“It was a milestone for me and my family to have an opportunity to fully engage as a patient with the passionate and talented Eisai employees at a close distance.
With your encouraging support, I set my mind once again to stand up and fight against this nasty disease.”
“As a person who worked as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, I want to contribute to Alzheimer’s research and patient advocacy activities, with the hope that one day we’ll reach the First Survivor from Alzheimer’s, like there are survivors from many other diseases. Our roles are different, but the goal is the same. I truly hope that we work together and accomplish our mission.”
Eisai will continue to work towards the prevention and treatment of dementia by utilizing what we learned about the anxieties of people with dementia through hhc socialization activities in our future drug discovery activities.
