MELBOURNE, Australia,
Oct. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai
Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo,
CEO: Haruo Naito, "Eisai") and
Cogstate, Ltd. (Headquarters: Melbourne,
Australia and New Haven,
USA, CEO: Brad O'Connor, "Cogstate") announced today that
the companies have entered into a collaboration whereby Eisai has
secured the global development rights and exclusive
commercialization rights of all cognitive function tests developed
by Cogstate, including the "Cogstate Brief BatteryTM"
(CBB) for use in healthcare and other markets. This global
licensing deal is an expansion of an existing partnership executed
in August 2019 whereby Eisai secured
exclusive development and commercialization rights in Japan for all cognitive function tests
developed by Cogstate, including the CBB. Both companies plan to
proceed with development globally of CBB as a tool for individuals
to self-assess brain performance to support healthy lifestyle
choices and preventative measures in daily life, as well as a
medical device to aid healthcare professionals in clinical
diagnosis decisions.
Developed by Cogstate, the CBB is a scientifically validated
digital tool that enables cognitive function self-checks and
consists of four tests evaluating psychomotor function, attention,
learning and memory, and working memory. In the United States, Europe, Australia, New
Zealand and Canada, the CBB
has been adapted as a medical device named "CognigramTM"
that has achieved marketing authorization by regulators in these
jurisdictions and provides informative results for healthcare
professionals to support clinical examination to aid in the
diagnosis of MCI and dementia.
In its medium-term business plan, EWAY2025, Eisai is aiming to
become a "Medico Societal Innovator" (a company that changes
society through creating medicines and providing solutions). Eisai
is creating next-generation medical remedies focused on the
neurology and oncology areas as well as building disease ecosystem
platforms, in order to provide environments and solutions including
digital solutions for early diagnosis and early treatment.
Cogstate aims to make assessment of brain health as simple,
common and informative as assessment of blood pressure. Cogstate's
technology, which is easy to use and available in over 70
languages, is supported by extensive scientific validation,
including more than 600 peer reviewed publications. Cogstate
technology has been used extensively in clinical trials, including
trials conducted by Eisai.
The global agreement between Eisai and Cogstate will allow the
two companies to replicate many of the advancements that have
already been launched in Japan,
where Eisai has developed and launched a new digital tool using the
CBB, named "NouKNOWTM" (pronounced "NOH-NOH"), a
non-medical device for self-assessment of brain performance (brain
health). Eisai is currently investigating the possibility of
developing a medical device using the CBB in Japan.
In recent years, various research has demonstrated the
possibility that decline in brain performance may be mitigated
through major readjustments to lifestyle, such as regular exercise
and sleep, a well-balanced diet, and social interaction. However,
according to a survey by Eisai, the number of people taking correct
preventive actions or habitually performing self-checks of
cognitive function are few, with disparities ("chasms") existing
against the incorporation of these habits into daily lifestyle.
As a result of these findings, in Japan, Eisai is constructing a dementia
platform, called "Easiit", with the goal of erasing these chasms.
Core to this platform will be the brain-performance self-check tool
"NouKNOW" and the "Easiit App" which aims to contribute to the
promotion of health practices through data visualization of brain
and body health insights.
It can be expected that the use of "NouKNOW" to perform
periodic self-assessments of brain performance among the generation
currently in their prime working years, along with the use of the
"Easiit App" for the adjustment of lifestyle and practice of
preventive measures in daily life, will become an opportunity for
the creation of better brain and body health.
Through this agreement, Eisai and Cogstate will work together
for the development of digital tools for simpler self-checks of
cognitive function and diagnostic tool development for healthcare
professionals to promote greater awareness of brain performance
globally, thus contributing to the realization of well-being for
all.
[Notes to editors]
1. About Eisai Co., Ltd.
Eisai Co., Ltd. defines our corporate mission as "giving first
thought to patients and their families and to increasing the
benefits health care provides," which we call our human health
care (hhc) philosophy. With approximately 10,000
employees working across our global network of R&D facilities,
manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to
realize our hhc philosophy by delivering innovative products
to address unmet medical needs, with a particular focus in our
strategic areas of Neurology and Oncology. As a global
pharmaceutical company, our mission extends to patients around the
world through working with key stakeholders to improve access to
medicines in developing and emerging countries.
For further information on Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit
https://www.eisai.com
2. About Cogstate Ltd.
Cogstate Ltd. (ASX:CGS) is
a neuroscience technology company headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia and New Haven,
Connecticut, USA, focused on optimising brain health
assessments to advance the development of new medicines and to
enable earlier clinical insights in healthcare. Since 1999,
Cogstate technologies have provided rapid, reliable and highly
sensitive computerised cognitive tests across a growing list of
domains. The company's clinical trials solutions include quality
assurance services for clinical outcome assessments that combine
electronic data capture, innovative operational approaches,
advanced analytics and scientific consulting. For more than 20
years, Cogstate has proudly supported the leading-edge research
needs of biopharmaceutical companies and academic institutions and
the clinical care needs of physicians and patients around the
world. Notwithstanding this agreement, Cogstate will continue
to independently offer its technology and services to the clinical
trials market.
For further information on Cogstate, please visit
www.cogstate.com.
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