BioArctic AB (publ) partner Eisai announced that Leqembi (generic name: lecanemab) has been launched in South Korea. Leqembi was approved in South Korea in May 2024 for the treatment of adult patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or mild dementia due to AD (early AD). Eisai estimates that there were approximately 900,000 dementia patients in South Korea in 2021, with one in ten people over the age of 65 suffering from dementia, and one in five with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Patients with Alzheimer’s disease represent approximately 70% of all dementia patients. In South Korea, Eisai will first launch Leqembi in the private market. Leqembi selectively binds to soluble amyloid beta (Aß) aggregates (protofibrils[2]), as well as insoluble Aß aggregates (fibrils) that are a major component of Aß plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, thereby reducing both Aß protofibrils and Aß plaques in the brain .
Leqembi is the first treatment approved to reduce the rate of disease progression and slow cognitive and functional decline through this mechanism. Leqembi is the result of a long-standing collaboration between BioArctic and Eisai. The antibody was originally developed by BioArctic based on the work of Professor Lars Lannfelt and his discovery of the Arctic mutation in Alzheimer’s disease. Eisai is responsible for the clinical development, marketing authorization applications and commercialization of Lecanemab for Alzheimer’s disease.
BioArctic has the right to jointly commercialize Leqembi in the Nordic region, subject to European approval, and Eisai and BioArctic are currently preparing for joint commercialization in the region.
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