EISAI AND ZERIA CONCLUDE LICENSE AGREEMENT CONCERNING A NEW PROTON PUMP INHIBITOR IN JAPAN

Eisai Co., Ltd.
Zeria Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) and Zeria Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President and COO: Mitsuhiro Ibe, “Zeria”) announced today that they have concluded a license agreement concerning E3710, a novel proton pump inhibitor (PPI) discovered and developed in-house by Eisai.

Based on this agreement, Eisai will grant Zeria the exclusive rights to develop and co-promote, and the non-exclusive right to manufacture, E3710 in Japan. In addition, Eisai will receive down payment and additional royalties from Zeria, and after marketing authorization has been successfully obtained, Eisai will pay Zeria a certain consideration. While Zeria will develop E3710 and work to obtain marketing authorization, the two companies will collaborate on marketing E3710 after launch.

E3710 is a novel PPI discovered by Eisai as a successor to Pariet®, and compared to existing PPIs, potentially provides a stronger and a longer-lasting inhibitory effect on gastric acid secretion. E3710 shows promise as a best-in-class treatment which could shorten the treatment period and meet the needs of patients for whom existing PPIs are inadequate.

This license agreement will enhance the product pipeline of Zeria, who focuses on gastrointestinal diseases as a key franchise area, and maximize the value of Eisai's compound. Both Eisai and Zeria have a strong track record in the field of gastrointernal diseases (Eisai with the PPI Pariet and the gastritis / gastric ulcer treatment Selbex®, Zeria with the ulcerative colitis treatment Asacol® and the world's first functional dyspepsia treatment Acofide®) and will conduct co-promotional activities with the aim of bringing a product to the market for acid related diseases as soon as possible.

Through this collaboration on E3710, Eisai and Zeria aim to satisfy the medical needs of acid related diseases and further contribute to the treatment of patients.

Media Inquiries

< Notes to editors >

1. About E3710

E3710 is a new type of PPI developed by Eisai which has a strong inhibitory effect on gastric acid secretion, and shows promise as a new treatment that can potentially fulfill the remaining medical needs for acid related diseases. A Phase I clinical trial has been completed by Eisai.

2. About Eisai Co., Ltd.

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a research-based pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and markets products worldwide. Guided by its corporate mission of “giving first thought to patients and their families, and to increasing the benefits that health care provides,” all Eisai employees aspire to meet the various needs of global health care as representatives of a “human health care (hhc) company” that is capable of making a meaningful contribution under any healthcare system.

For more information about Eisai, please visit: http://www.eisai.com(New Window)

3. About Zeria Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Zeria Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., guided by our corporate motto “Making health is making happiness,” is engaged in the development, manufacturing and sales and marketing of original pharmaceuticals, with the Ethical Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Healthcare business serving as the two “wheels” of our operations. In our Ethical Pharmaceutcial business, Zeria is specialized in the gastrointestinal field from R&D to sales. In the Consumer Healthcare business, we offer products responding to self-care and and self-medication. Zeria devotes sustained effort to helping patients who are fighting diseases as well as all people seeking health for realizing a prosperous and fruitful life.

For more information about Zeria, please visit: http://www.zeria.co.jp/english/index.html