Eisai and BioArctic have entered into a research evaluation agreement regarding a potential new treatment, BAN2802, for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
The agreement builds on the companies’ long-standing collaboration regarding the development and commercialisation of drugs for the treatment of the neurodegenerative disease.
AD is currently the most common form of dementia, which affects around 55 million people globally. It deteriorates the part of the brain that controls thought, memory and language.
The new collaboration, which will share the costs for the research evaluation programme, aims to build on both companies’ knowledge in the field of AD to evaluate the potential next-generation disease modifying treatment for people living with the disease.
BAN2802 combines BioArctic’s proprietary BrainTransporter technology, which works to transport biologics across the blood-brain barrier into the brain, creating faster and stronger efficacy of treatments targeted to the brain, with an undisclosed AD drug candidate.
At the end of the collaboration, Eisai will evaluate the data generated from the new research evaluation programme and determine whether to exercise the option to license BAN2802 for the treatment of AD.
“We are very pleased to extend and deepen our relationship with this new research evaluation agreement on BAN2802,” said Gunilla Osswald, chief executive officer, BioArctic.
She continued: “Our BrainTransporter technology… has huge potential to improve many different projects and support companies in their pursuit of helping people with brain disorders… and we look forward to continuing our fruitful collaboration.”
Since 2005, BioArctic and Eisai’s collaboration has led to the development and commercialisation of Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb), the world’s first approved drug to slow the progression of early AD.
While Eisai is responsible for the clinical development, application for market approval and commercialisation of the products for AD, BioArctic has the right to commercialise Leqembi in the Nordic region with no development costs and is entitled to payments in connection with regulatory approvals, sales milestones and royalties on global sales.
In July 2023, Leqembi received traditional approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for use in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage AD as a bi-weekly intravenous infusion.