Eisai CEO sets sights on Asia with Alzheimer's drug approved in US

Haruo Naito sees 'enormous' market in China, Japan and elsewhere

Eisai CEO Haruo Naito says a newly approved therapeutic Alzheimer's disease drug co-developed with U.S.-based Biogen will become a "substantial blockbuster" in an interview with Nikkei on June 8. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi)

KENYA AKAMA, Nikkei staff writer

June 8, 2021 20:15 JST

TOKYO - Japanese drugmaker Eisai is betting on Asia to boost sales of a newly approved therapeutic Alzheimer's disease drug co-developed with U.S.-based Biogen, as the aging region faces a rapid increase in dementia patients.

Eisai CEO Haruo Naito told Nikkei in an interview on Tuesday that the treatment would "become a substantial blockbuster," a drug with annual sales of over $1 billion, and expressed hope that it would generate significant revenue for the pharmaceutical company.