EISAI COMMENCES VENTURE INVESTMENT BUSINESS AIMED AT ACCELERATING INNOVATION IN DRUG CREATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF ECOSYSTEM PLATFORM

Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) announced today that the company has commenced a venture investment business for the purpose of excavating innovative technologies, supporting venture businesses with such technologies, and partnering with those businesses in the future, so as to accelerate innovation in drug creation as well as the establishment of ecosystem platform.

 

In line with its medium-term business plan EWAY2025, Eisai is conducting research and development activities through various approaches at Eisai's global drug creation sites, in order to create next-generation drugs mainly in the “neurology” and “oncology” areas defined as Eisai’s therapeutic areas of focus. Eisai is aiming to deliver novel benefits to patients and their families, by establishing the “Platform” via actively utilizing external big data and genomic data in addition to Eisai’s own experience, know-how, and clinical data, as well as by building the “Ecosystem” via collaborating with partners such as other pharmaceutical companies, governments, medical organizations, care facilities, diagnostic developing companies, IT companies and insurance companies. As the first step, Eisai is proceeding with the efforts for the establishment of the dementia ecosystem.

 

In this investment business, Eisai invests approximately 3 billion yen per year for five years within the framework of 15 billion yen in total in venture businesses which can contribute to patient benefits that Eisai aims for by have synergy with Eisai’s researches in the neurology and oncology areas, as well as having innovative digital technologies supporting the establishment of the ecosystem platform.

 

While Eisai begins this investment business in Tokyo to lead healthcare-related ecosystems in Japan, the company also plans to set up satellite offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts and San Francisco, California, two of the major clusters for digital health and biotech ventures in the United States, thus globally expanding investment areas.

 

Building on its long-cultivated capacity of global drug discovery and its network with local communities, Eisai is committed to utilizing this investment business to accelerate innovation in drug creation in agile cooperation with academia, drug discovery ventures, IT ventures, and strengthen the construction of the ecosystem platform as it seeks to further contribute to increasing the benefits provided to consumers, patients and their families in the world.

 

 

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Public Relations Department,

Eisai Co., Ltd.

+81-(0)3-3817-5120