Alzheimer’s disease

Eisai, in partnership with BioArctic AB, is launching Leqembi in Europe, starting with Austria and Germany. Leqembi, approved by the European Commission in April 2025, is the first therapy targeting the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Indicated for early AD patients (ApoE ε4 non-carriers or heterozygotes) with confirmed amyloid pathology, Leqembi demonstrated a 31% reduction in clinical decline in trials. Lecanemab selectively binds to aggregated soluble and insoluble forms of amyloid-beta (Aβ). It has already been approved in U.S., Japan, EU, China, etc. Common adverse reactions include infusion-related reactions and ARIA.

BioArctic’s Q2 2025 royalties surged to SEK 162.5 million due to strong Leqembi (lecanemab) sales, developed with Eisai, reaching JPY 23.1 billion. This included a one-time China stockpiling effect of JPY 5.3 billion. Excluding this, sales were JPY 17.8 billion, with royalties of approximately SEK 125 million. BioArctic will release its full Q2 report on August 28, focusing on Leqembi’s sustainable growth. Leqembi, targeting early Alzheimer’s, is approved in 46 countries and under review in 10 more.