Eisai outlines continued commitment to UK market

Eisai has underlined the central role the UK market will play in its future plans, as it seeks to bolster its portfolio following the loss of patent exclusivity on Aricept.

Gary Hendler, chief executive of Eisai's EMEA and Russian operation, told InPharm that the firm is seeking to "recover rapidly" from the Alzheimer's drug's patent expiry, highlighting the recent launch of the epilepsy therapy Fycompa as a key step.

The drug was developed in the UK and will also be manufactured in this country for provision to global markets, making it the first Eisai therapy to be produced outside Japan.

It was approved by the European Commission in July 2012 and is debuting in Britain ahead of a wider EU rollout over the next few months.

Mr Hendler said: "It was strategic, to do with Eisai investing in the UK. Also, the UK is the last free price market in Europe, [meaning] we can get into the market quicker here."

The Eisai representative also highlighted the UK growth of breast cancer drug Halaven as a positive development, while outlining the company's commitment to the central nervous system and cancer fields as priority areas.