Eisai launches Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi in Korea

Eisai Korea has officially launched Leqembi (lecanemab) injection, a groundbreaking Alzheimer’s drug approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) earlier this year.

The drug targets amyloid beta (Aβ), a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), offering hope to patients in the early stages of this debilitating condition.

Leqembi is designed for adults with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s or mild AD dementia. It binds to amyloid beta protofibrils and fibrils, reducing brain plaques and slowing disease progression.

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Results from the global Phase 3 Clarity AD trial demonstrated that Leqembi delayed Alzheimer’s progression by 27% after 18 months, with a significant reduction in clinical dementia scores compared to a placebo. Long-term studies suggest even greater benefits, with a 0.95-point reduction in dementia scores over three years.

South Korea faces a pressing dementia crisis, with approximately 900,000 individuals aged 65 and older living with the condition, 70% of whom have Alzheimer’s. The annual management cost for dementia averages 21.1 million won ($15,000) per patient, escalating to 33.1 million won for severe cases.

“AD has placed an immense burden on patients and families, with unmet medical needs persisting in the absence of treatments targeting its root causes,” said Ko Hong-byung, CEO of Eisai Korea. “The introduction of Leqembi allows for intervention from the mild cognitive impairment stage.”

Eisai is also seeking regulatory approval for a subcutaneous autoinjector version of Leqembi, which could revolutionize treatment by enabling weekly self-administration in just 15 seconds, compared to the current one-hour infusion.

Globally, Leqembi continues to gain traction. The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recently issued a positive recommendation for its use in adults with confirmed amyloid beta pathology, expanding its reach in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

With its launch in Korea, Leqembi represents a critical step in addressing the growing burden of dementia, offering patients and families new hope in managing early Alzheimer’s disease.