Eisai Expands Marketing and Supply Agreement for Anti-obesity Agent Lorcaserin to Include Most Countries Worldwide

Eisai Expands Marketing and SupplyEisai Expands Marketing and Supply Agreement for Anti-obesity Agent Lorcaserin to Include Most Countries Worldwide PR Newswire HATFIELD, England, November 8, 2013 Eisai announces today that it has expanded the marketing and supply agreement between its U.S. subsidiary Eisai Inc. and U.S-based Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Swiss subsidiary, Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH, for the anti-obesity agent lorcaserin hydrochloride (lorcaserin) (U.S. brand ®name: BELVIQ ). Whilst the existing agreement granted Eisai Inc. exclusive rights to market and distribute lorcaserin in 21 countries throughout the Americas, the expanded agreement now includes most countries and territories worldwide, most notably, the member states of the European Union, Japan and China (but excludes South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Israel). Under this agreement, Eisai will be working in collaboration with Arena to develop and seek marketing authorisation of lorcaserin as an anti-obesity treatment in its territories. In addition to pursuing regulatory approval for weight management in the expanded territories, Eisai and Arena plan to investigate the potential of lorcaserin in new areas, such as: smoking cessation, a once-daily formulation, a fixed-dose combination with phentermine, as well as explore lorcaserin's impact on diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes. Lorcaserin is marketed in the U.S. by Eisai Inc., and is approved by the U.S.