Eisai and Cogstate Expand Agreement for Global Development and Commercialization of Digital Cognitive Assessment Technologies-PR Newswire APAC

MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct. 26, 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 Battery^TM" (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 "Cognigram^TM" 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 "NouKNOW^TM" (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.