WESTON (dpa-AFX) - Eisai Co., Ltd. (ESALY.PK) and Biogen Idec (BIIB) have entered into a collaboration to develop and commercialize two of Eisai's clinical candidates for Alzheimer's disease or AD - E2609 and BAN2401.
The agreement also provides Eisai with an option to jointly develop and commercialize two of Biogen Idec's candidates for AD - the anti-amyloid beta (A?) antibody BIIB037 and an anti-tau monoclonal antibody.
The collaboration will initially be focused on the co-development and co-commercialization of Eisai's two candidates: E2609, a ?-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme or BACE inhibitor, and BAN2401, an anti-A? antibody.
These candidates have the potential to reduce A? plaques that form in the brains of patients with AD and to stop the formation of new plaques, thus improving symptoms and suppressing disease progression.
Eisai will serve as the operational and regulatory lead in the co-development of E2609 and BAN2401. The firm will pursue marketing authorizations for both compounds worldwide.
In major markets, such as the U.S. and the European Union, Eisai and Biogen Idec will also co-promote the products following marketing approval.
Both companies will share overall costs, including research and development expenses. Eisai will book all sales for E2609 and BAN2401 and profits will be split between the companies.
Biogen Idec will provide Eisai with an upfront payment and a fixed amount of development, approval and commercial milestone payments.
The agreement also includes options for Eisai to receive an additional one-time payment from Biogen Idec related to joint development and commercialization activities in Japan.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX