Eisai to Provide Medicine to Help World Health Organization (WHO) Combat Lymphatic Filariasis Epidemic

LONDON, November 19, 2010 - -The First Public-Private Partnership to be Established Between
WHO and a Japanese Pharmaceutical Company to Overcome the Impact of a
Neglected Tropical Disease in Developing Countries

Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President & CEO: Haruo Naito,
"Eisai") announced today that it has signed a statement of intent with the
World Health Organization (WHO) to supply free of charge of a primary
medicine for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis. The statement was signed
by Mr. Haruo Naito, Eisai President and CEO, and Dr. Margaret Chan,
Director-General of WHO. This is the first time a Japanese pharmaceutical
company has established a partnership with WHO in an effort to combat the
global health issue of neglected tropical diseases.

In the statement of intent, Eisai agreed to produce and supply to WHO
free of charge up to 2.2 billion 100 mg tablets of diethylcarbamazine
(generic name, "DEC"), a medicine used to treat lymphatic filariasis, in
accordance with the high quality standards of WHO, over a six year period
between 2012 and 2017. This is in line with WHO's forecast for the number of
DEC tablets needed to help eliminate filariasis in epidemic countries over
this period. Production of the medicine is planned at Eisai's Vizag Plant in
India. Eisai is working with WHO to finalize details of this program with the
aim of executing an official contract with WHO in the near future.

"Eisai's commitment to provide DEC greatly improves prospects for
interrupting the transmission of lymphatic filariasis," said Dr. Margaret
Chan, Director-General of WHO. "This contribution will eventually close the
gap in drug availability, particularly for poor countries where most cases of
this disease occur and the burden on health and society is greatest."

Lymphatic filariasis can be treated with a combination of two out of
three anti-parasitic agents, one of which is DEC. Research has shown that
large-scale interventions in which all inhabitants of endemic areas are
administered DEC once a year for at least five years is effective in
eliminating the disease. Despite this, the current insufficient supply of DEC
has hindered global elimination efforts. As a global pharmaceutical company
committed to improving health of all individuals worldwide, Eisai has decided
to manufacture and supply DEC free of charge to WHO.

Lymphatic filariasis is a parasitic disease that is transmitted to humans
by the bite of a mosquito. Once transmitted, it causes lymphatic dysfunction
that leads to other serious physical disabilities such as elephantiasis, a
severe condition in which a patient's lower extremities swell up to resemble
those of an elephant.(1) Japan succeeded in eradicating lymphatic filariasis
in the late 1970s as a result of initiatives(2) carried out by the government
in partnership with the public-private sector and became the first country in
the world to demonstrate the successful achievement of lymphatic filariasis
eradication using DEC. Currently, the disease still affects an estimated 120
million people in 81 countries worldwide, most of whom live in developing and
emerging nations in Africa and South East Asia. Lymphatic filariasis is a
severe and debilitating infectious disease with heavy economic costs,
immobility and billions of dollars in lost productivity in endemic
countries.(3)

As a human health care (hhc) company, Eisai remains committed to
proactively taking measures to help solve global health and health care
problems such as neglected tropical diseases and access to medicines, and
will continue to make further contributions to increasing the benefits
provided to patients and their families worldwide.

About Eisai

Eisai concentrates its R&D activities in three key areas:

    - Integrative Neuroscience, including: Alzheimer's disease, multiple
    sclerosis, neuropathic pain, epilepsy, depression

    - Integrative Oncology, including: anticancer therapies; vaccines, tumour
    regression, tumour suppression, antibodies and supportive cancer
    therapies; pain relief, nausea

    - Vascular/Immunological reaction, including: acute coronary syndrome,
    atherothrombotic disease, severe sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis,
    Crohn's disease

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a research-based human health care (hhc) company that
discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Through a
global network of research facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing
subsidiaries, Eisai actively participates in all aspects of the worldwide
health care system. Eisai employs approximately 11,000 employees worldwide.

For further information, please visit www.eisai.co.jp.

In Europe, Eisai undertakes sales and marketing operations in over 20
markets, including the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Germany, Greece,
Italy, Malta, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland, Austria,
Denmark, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Iceland, Czech Republic, Hungary and
Slovakia.

References

1. WHO. Lymphatic Filariasis - background WHO Website (accessed 17 Nov
2010) 2010;www.who.int/lymphatic_filariasis/en/: 1

2. Ichimori. LF Elimination in PacAEF following Japanese Elimination
Trends in Parasitology 2006;23: 36

3. World Health Organisation. Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Summary
WHO Website (accessed 17 Nov 2010)
2010;www.who.int/neglected_diseases/2010report/N: 1

Images are available upon request.

Media Inquiries, Eisai Europe Ltd, Cressida Robson, +44-7908-314-155, Cressida_Robson at eisai.net