NOVARTIS PHARMA AND EISAI TERMINATE CO-PROMOTION AGREEMENT FOR COPD THERAPIES

Novartis Pharma K.K. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President & CEO: Hiroyuki Mitani, “Novartis Pharma”) and Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President & CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) announced today that the two companies have agreed to terminate their co-promotion agreement for three therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) effective December 31, 2012. The three therapies are Onbrez® Inhalation Capsules 150 mcg (indacaterol maleate) and Seebri® Inhalation Capsules 50 mcg (glycopyrronium bromide), which are both manufactured and marketed by Novartis Pharma, and the investigational drug QVA149 (fixed-dose combination of indacaterol maleate and glycopyrronium bromide), which has been filed for approval by Novartis Pharma.

Under the terms of the co-promotion agreement, Novartis Pharma and Eisai had been conducting information provision activities, but as a result of a review of sales strategies for the products and after negotiations between the two companies, Novartis Pharma and Eisai have now agreed to terminate the co-promotion agreement.

Following the agreement’s termination, from January 2013 onward, promotion activities related to Onbrez and Seebri will be carried out by Novartis Pharma, including all operations related to the provision, gathering and transmission of pharmaceutical information on these products. Furthermore, all operations related to the provision, gathering and transmission of pharmaceutical information on QVA149 with medical institutions in the event approval for QVA149 is acquired will be carried out by Novartis Pharma.