SWEDEN — BioArctic AB, a Swedish research-based biopharma company, has partnered with Eisai, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, to introduce Leqembi (Lecanemab) into the Chinese market.

This collaboration follows Leqembi’s approval in January 2024 for treating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild AD dementia.

China now becomes the third country, alongside the United States and Japan, to launch Leqembi.

Eisai estimates that in 2024, approximately 17 million individuals in China suffer from MCI or mild dementia due to AD, collectively referred to as early AD.

This number is anticipated to rise with the aging population.

To manage this healthcare challenge effectively, Eisai has taken on the distribution of Leqembi in China, leveraging specialized Medical Representatives to engage in informative activities.

Concurrently, they are developing a unique early AD diagnosis and treatment pathway integrating online and offline services.

Eisai is also committed to establishing evidence for definitive early AD diagnosis using blood biomarkers.

In China, Leqembi will initially launch in the private market priced at CNY 2,508(US$345.33) for a 200 mg vial.

Recognizing the financial burden associated with AD treatment, Eisai has collaborated with a major Chinese medical insurance company to introduce a healthcare insurance plan tailored for AD, including partial drug cost coverage.

Through these initiatives, Eisai aims to enhance AD detection, diagnosis, and treatment across China.

Leqembi selectively binds to soluble amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates, including protofibrils and insoluble Aβ aggregates (fibrils), key components of Aβ plaques in AD brains.

This dual action aims to reduce both Aβ protofibrils and plaques, positioning Leqembi as the world’s first approved treatment shown to slow cognitive and functional decline by targeting these mechanisms.

The development of Leqembi stems from a longstanding partnership between BioArctic and Eisai, rooted in the pioneering work of Professor Lars Lannfelt, who discovered the Arctic mutation in Alzheimer’s disease.

BioArctic developed the antibody, while Eisai took charge of clinical development, market approval applications, and global commercialization of Lecanemab for AD treatment.

BioArctic stands to benefit from payments tied to regulatory milestones, sales achievements, and a 9% royalty on global sales, without bearing development costs for Leqembi in AD.

Moreover, BioArctic retains commercialization rights for Leqembi in the Nordic region pending European approval, with plans underway for joint commercialization efforts with Eisai in the region.

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