Initiatives Toward Eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis (LF)Steady Advancement in the Implementation of Mass Drug Administration and LF elimination with the Efforts and Dedication of Eisai India

January 30, 2025

Contributed to around 22 Million LF Patients Over Past 10 Years via Continuous Production and Supply of High-Quality LF Treatments, and Generated a Social Impact of About 388 Billion Yen in FY2023.

Eisai India’s Vizag Plant Producing LF Treatment 

Eisai provides diethylcarbamazine (DEC) tablets, a treatment for lymphatic filariasis (LF), one of the neglected tropical diseases, to endemic countries for free.

Among the 32 countries to which Eisai has provided DEC tablets, LF elimination has been achieved in Egypt, Kiribati, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, Laos, and most recently Timor-Leste and Brazil in October 2024. Eisai has manufactured DEC tablets at the Vizag plant of Eisai Pharmaceuticals India Pvt. Ltd. (Eisai India) and has provided a cumulative total of 2.51 billion DEC tablets to endemic countries through the World Health Organization (WHO), contributing to the steady increase in the number of countries achieving elimination (as of December 2024). In addition to the free provision of DEC tablets, Eisai supports comprehensive elimination activities, including disease awareness to improve participation rates in mass drug administration (MDA) and the improvement of sanitary conditions to suppress the breeding of mosquitoes that transmit the infection.

At Eisai, we are striving to visualize the social value (impact) of projects with significant social contribution. By applying the impact-weighted accounting method of Ryohei Yanagi and David Freiberg, we calculated the social impact as of the end of March 2023 for the MDA activities implemented since 2014. As a result, we found that the provision of DEC tablets has contributed to an estimated cumulative total of approximately 22 million people since 2014, and generated a social impact of approximately 388 billion yen (3.4 billion USD) in the fiscal year 2023 alone.

※ For details on the impact calculation method and long-term goals, please see below.

Visualization of Non-Financial Capital: Impact-Weighted Accounting of Free Provision of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) Tablets | Sustainability | Eisai Co., Ltd. (eisai.com)

Efforts and Dedication of Employees Involved in the Quality and Manufacturing of DEC Tablets

The foundation of Eisai's LF elimination efforts is the quality of our DEC tablets. The effort and passion to continuously deliver high-quality DEC tablets to patients at all times are rooted in Eisai India's factory. Sudipta Das, Head of Drug Product Manufacturing at Eisai India and also a DEC manager*, says that “Eisai’s general quality policy based on the hhc concept ― ‘The quality of every single tablet, capsule, and ampule that we produce is integral to the life of the patient’ ― is deeply ingrained in the factory employees. Quality is perceived not just as an internal metric but as a promise to patients worldwide, leading to unwavering quality actions by the factory employees." Employees play a crucial role in protecting patients' health and trust, and a culture of responsibility is fostered within the organization. Employees themselves promote daily improvement activities, streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and strive for regular training and skill enhancement.

* DEC Manager: staff in charge of promoting LF elimination activities in their country in collaboration with the local government

Sudipta Das

Head of Drug Product Manufacturing, DEC Manager, Eisai India

For example, to ensure the provision of high-quality pharmaceuticals to patients, we enhance product traceability by attaching two-dimensional code labels to bottles and assigning codes to shipping packages and pallets to prevent counterfeiting. Additionally, we are working on improving the efficiency of the manufacturing and packaging processes of DEC tablets, and achieving higher yields by increasing batch sizes. Stable supply is secured through enhancing the procurement of raw materials in the supply chain and boosting distribution systems. Additionally, long-term storage is enabled by thoroughly controlling the quality of raw materials with the support of suppliers.

We are implementing measures to ensure a stable supply of tablets and streamlining processes to ensure that the price-zero (free provision) business of DEC tablets is sustainable in the long-term.

Although Achieving LF Elimination is Challenging, We Will Continue to Provide DEC Tablets by Ensuring a Stable Supply Chain and Strong Partnerships

Even with efforts to ensure a stable supply of high-quality products, unforeseen circumstances such as wars and disasters may occur. Eisai India holds monthly meetings with stakeholders, including the WHO, to ensure a stable supply of medications, including DEC tablets, to support the implementation of MDA locally. These meetings involve factory managers, supply chain managers, and production managers from the companies providing the medications, who discuss with WHO representatives the status of MDA in endemic countries, inventory levels, production/supply forecasts of the medications, related issues, and the latest information. 

Leveraging Eisai’s Unique Characteristics and Corporate Strengths, We Aim to Reduce Healthcare Disparities and Realize Social Good in the Long Term

Eisai aims to contribute to a brighter and healthier future for the next generation by breaking the vicious cycle of poverty caused by LF through the provision of high-quality DEC tablets. Moving forward, we will continue to share knowledge and challenges with stakeholders across sectors and work towards the elimination of lymphatic filariasis as soon as possible.

Eisai will continue to provide DEC tablets, contributing to people in LF endemic countries.

 

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