Eisai Expands Marketing and Supply Agreement for Anti-obesity Agent Lorcaserin to Include Most Countries Worldwide

Eisai announces today that it has expanded the marketing and supply agreement between its U.S. subsidiary Eisai Inc. and U.S-based Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Swiss subsidiary, Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH, for the anti-obesity agent lorcaserin hydrochloride (lorcaserin) (U.S. brand name: BELVIQ(R)). Whilst the existing agreement granted Eisai Inc. exclusive rights to market and distribute lorcaserin in 21 countries throughout the Americas, the expanded agreement now includes most countries and territories worldwide, most notably, the member states of the European Union, Japan and China (but excludes South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Israel).  

    Under this agreement, Eisai will be working in collaboration with Arena to develop and seek marketing authorisation of lorcaserin as an anti-obesity treatment in its territories. In addition to pursuing regulatory approval for weight management in the expanded territories, Eisai and Arena plan to investigate the potential of lorcaserin in new areas, such as: smoking cessation, a once-daily formulation, a fixed-dose combination with phentermine, as well as explore lorcaserin's impact on diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes.  

Lorcaserin is marketed in the U.S. by Eisai Inc., and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adult patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater, or 27 kg/m2 or greater in the presence of at least one weight-related co-morbid condition. Marketing authorization has also been applied for in Mexico and Canada.  

    In recent years, obesity has become a major global health problem, with more than 1.4 billion adults worldwide believed to be overweight and approximately 500 million of that number qualifying as obese.[1] By region, around 170 million people in the United States[2] and 150 million people in Europe are reported to be obese or overweight.[3] In Europe, it is estimated that 10-30% of adults are obese.[4]  

    Eisai is dedicated to discovering, developing and producing innovative therapies that can make a difference and impact the lives of patients and their families. This passion for people is part of Eisai's human health care (hhc) mission, which strives for better understanding of the needs of patients and their families to increase the benefits health care provides.