Biogen & Eisai Amend Collaboration Agreements on Alzheimer's Disease Treatments

Biogen Inc. and Eisai Co., Ltd. recently announced the companies have amended their existing collaboration agreement on aducanumab, which is commercialized in the US as ADUHELM (aducanumab-avwa). Effective as of January 1, 2023, Eisai will receive a tiered royalty based on net sales of ADUHELM rather than sharing global profits and losses. The royalty rate starts at 2% and reaches 8% when annual sales exceed $1 billion. Effective immediately Biogen’s existing final decision-making rights on ADUHELM have converted to sole decision making and commercialization rights worldwide. Overall, economic arrangements for both companies in 2022 are expected to remain materially unchanged with Eisai’s share of expenses capped at an agreed amount for the costs related to development, commercialization and manufacturing of ADUHELM for the period from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Once the tiered royalty model commences on January 1, 2023, Eisai will not participate in ADUHELM’s economics beyond these royalties.

The companies will continue to jointly develop and commercialize the investigational therapy lecanemab. Eisai continues to serve as the lead of lecanemab development and regulatory submissions globally with both companies co-commercializing and co-promoting the product, and Eisai having final decision-making authority. Both companies share economics equally with Eisai booking all sales for lecanemab and Biogen reflecting its 50% share of profits and losses. The supply agreement related to lecanemab has been extended from 5 to 10 years. Biogen will manufacture the lecanemab drug substance in its Solothurn, Switzerland, facility with the goal of providing reliable commercial supply worldwide.

“This amended collaboration agreement will increase operational efficiency and agility in addressing market developments, including the final determination of CMS on coverage of ADUHELM,” said Michel Vounatsos, Chief Executive Officer at Biogen. “In addition we are pleased to be expanding our agreement with Eisai through a new long-term manufacturing contract.”

“The collaboration between both companies has resulted in the approval of ADUHELM in the U.S. as the first treatment to address a defining pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, which is a significant step into a new chapter of Alzheimer’s therapy,” said Haruo Naito, Chief Executive Officer at Eisai Co., Ltd. “We believe this new arrangement will be more effective and enable more focused execution with the goal of maximizing the value of both ADUHELM and lecanemab. Eisai will increase its focus on lecanemab and remains committed to bringing a new treatment option expeditiously to patients in need worldwide.”

As pioneers in neuroscience, Biogen discovers, develops, and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies. One of the world’s first global biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 by Charles Weissmann, Heinz Schaller, Sir Kenneth Murray, and Nobel Prize winners Walter Gilbert and Phillip Sharp. Today, Biogen has a leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, has introduced the first approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, and is providing the first and only approved treatment to address a defining pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Biogen is also commercializing biosimilars and focusing on advancing the industry’s most diversified pipeline in neuroscience that will transform the standard of care for patients in several areas of high unmet need.

In 2020, Biogen launched a bold 20-year, $250 million initiative to address the deeply interrelated issues of climate, health, and equity. Healthy Climate, Healthy Lives aims to eliminate fossil fuels across the company’s operations, build collaborations with renowned institutions to advance the science to improve human health outcomes, and support underserved communities. For more information, visit www.biogen.com.

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a leading global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan. Eisai’s corporate philosophy is based on the human health care (hhc) concept, which is to give first thought to patients and their families, and to increase the benefits that health care provides to them. With a global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to realize our hhc philosophy by delivering innovative products to target diseases with high unmet medical needs, with a particular focus in our strategic areas of Neurology and Oncology.

Leveraging the experience gained from the development and marketing of a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, Eisai aims to establish the “Eisai Dementia Platform.” Through this platform, Eisai plans to deliver novel benefits to those living with dementia and their families through constructing a “Dementia Ecosystem,” by collaborating with partners such as medical organizations, diagnostic development companies, research organizations, and bio-ventures in addition to private insurance agencies, finance industries, fitness clubs, automobile makers, retailers, and care facilities. For more information, visit https://www.eisai.com.