Eisai: Pipeline, Products, Performance, Potential

Summary

Pharmaceutical company intelligence reports from Espicom provide a full review of the company's activities together with five-year sales forecasts for its key products. The company's financial performance is covered in-depth, from its latest results to a complete analysis of its latest full fiscal year and an outlook for the future. A section on company strategy covers mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, key agreements, products and R&D. An overview of key products and R&D is followed by a comprehensive review of the company's product portfolio and research and development pipeline by therapeutic area. In addition, supplementary appendices provide more in-depth information on financials, agreements and corporate events.

Headquartered in Japan, Eisai operates in two main business areas: Pharmaceuticals, including ethical drugs, OTC products and diagnostics; and Others, which comprises pharmaceutical production systems and equipment. Eisai has clinical research bases in North America, Europe, Asia and Japan, and employs over 10,600 people worldwide. Eisai sells prescription products within the following therapeutic areas: neurology; gastroenterology; metabolic; anti-inflammatory; diagnostics and oncology. It is now focusing its research and development efforts on neurology, gastroenterology and oncology/critical care.

Recent shifts in the Japanese economic environment have increased competition for domestic pharmaceuticals as the larger pharma companies from Europe and the US are afforded more and more of the Japanese market share. Consequently, many of the smaller Japanese pharmaceuticals have struggled, leading them to pursue mergers, of which there were three notable examples in 2005 (Daiichi Sankyo, Astellas Pharma and Dainippon Sumitomo), and two more announced in 2007 (Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma and Kyowa Hakko Kirin).

Eisai has been one of the exceptions, largely due to its long-established global operations. Foreign subsidiaries and operations generated 57.5 per cent of Eisai's sales in fiscal 2009 (compared to 52.6 per cent in fiscal 2006), and the company continues to strive to create efficient global management. Much of Eisai's globalisation has been generated through the success of its two core products: Aricept, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, and Aciphex/Pariet, a therapy for gastric acid-related conditions. In order to maximise the value of these products abroad, Eisai recognised the need for strategic alliances with companies with greater experience in foreign markets. Therefore, Eisai has been marketing Aricept in various markets with the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer since November 1994, and Aciphex/Pariet has benefited from co-marketing with Janssen Pharmaceutica (a major subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) in both European and US markets since January 1997. Such is Eisai's confidence in the recognition and standing of these products, and in its own US operations, the company assumed total control over the marketing of Aricept in the US in September 2005, and of Aciphex/Pariet, earlier in January 2004. Eisai is now targeting the emerging markets of China and India and, in October 2004, established the first Japanese pharmaceutical subsidiary in India, followed in March 2007, by the establishment of an active pharmaceutical ingredient R&D and manufacturing subsidiary, Eisai Pharmatechnology Manufacturing Pvt Ltd in Vishakhapatnam, which will commence operations in fiscal 2010. Eisai will be committing resources to these markets on a priority basis, thus laying the foundations for future business.

Both of the aforementioned products will be the key growth drivers for Eisai in the short-term, however, pending patent expirations (25th November 2010, for Aricept, and May 2013, for Aciphex/Pariet) are a serious concern for the company which will need to be addressed. Eisai has responded by targeting a new therapeutic of interest, oncology and critical care. Eisai believes this field has significant levels of unmet needs and therefore, the potential to generate growth in the long-term. Eisai's confidence and dedication to this strategy has been demonstrated by its recent acquisitions of Morphotek and MGI Pharma, two biopharmaceutical companies with extensive history in the field of oncology. Eisai has also purchased rights to five oncology products from Ligand Pharmaceuticals.

Contents

• Executive Summary
  • A Detailed And Comprehensive Overview Of Current Financial Position
• Company Strategy
• Product And Pipeline Analysis.
  • Therapeutic Area Focus
  • Key Product Analysis And Forecasting
  • Neurology
  • Aricept (Donepezil)
  • Inovelon (Rufinamide)
  • Methycobal/Nabolin S (Mecobalamin)
  • Neurobloc (Botulinum Toxin Type B Injectable Solution)
  • Gastroenterology
  • Aciphex/Pariet (Rabeprazole)
  • Selbex (Teprenone)
  • Anti-Inflammatory
  • Actonel (Risedronate)
  • Humira (Adalimumab)
  • Diagnostics
  • Iomeron (Iomeprol)
  • Oncology
  • Dacogen (Decitabine)
• Operational Data
  • A Wealth Of Background And Detail
  • A Full 5-Year Financial Performance Assessment
  • Key Corporate Events
  • Key Agreements
  • Infrastructure
  • Subsidiaries And Joint Ventures