°®¶¹´«Ã½

• For Print
• July 19, 2021

°®¶¹´«Ã½. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) announced today that its Thailand subsidiary Eisai (Thailand) Marketing Co., Ltd. has launched the bile acid transporter inhibitor Goofice^® (generic name: elobixibat hydrate) in Thailand. This is the first launch of Goofice in the Asian region excluding Japan.

Goofice, which Eisai’s subsidiary for gastrointestinal diseases EA Pharma Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, “EA Pharma”), in-licensed from Albireo AB (Sweden), is a once-daily, orally available constipation treatment with a novel action mechanism. Goofice inhibits the bile acid transporter that regulates reabsorption of bile acids thereby increasing the flow of bile acids to the colon. The dual action of moisture secretion and bowel movement promotion is expected to enhance natural defecation.

The prevalence of constipation is high in young women as well as in both elderly men and women. In Thailand, the number of patients with the prevalence of self-defined constipation is estimated to be about 10 million¹, and it is predicted that the number of patients will increase year by year as the population ages. In constipation, symptoms such as sensation of incomplete evacuation and hard stools appear in addition to reduction of bowel movement frequency. When such symptoms become chronic, many patients suffer a decline in QOL (quality of life).

In Japan, EA Pharma and Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) respectively market the product under the same brand name, and Eisai is co-promoting with EA Pharma. In Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore), Eisai is responsible for the commercialization and marketing of this product under a contract with EA Pharma.

Eisai will continue to make a further contribution to improve QOL for patients with chronic constipation in Thailand and other Asian countries, through maximization of the product value of Goofice.

Media Inquiries:

Public Relations Department,

°®¶¹´«Ã½.

+81-(0)3-3817-5120

[Notes to editors]

1. 1. °®¶¹´«Ã½ EA Pharma Co., Ltd.

EA Pharma Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of °®¶¹´«Ã½. for gastrointestinal disease area, was established in April 2016 by integration of the gastrointestinal business unit with at least 60 years' history of the Eisai Group and the gastrointestinal business unit of the Ajinomoto Group having amino acid as its business core. EA Pharma is a gastrointestinal specialty pharma with a full value chain covering R&D, logistics and sales & marketing.

For more information on EA Pharma Co., Ltd., please visit

1. 2. °®¶¹´«Ã½ the market for constipation treatment in Thailand

The market of constipation treatment in Thailand in 2020 is approximately US $ 21 million, accounting for approximately 26% of the total market of constipation treatment in Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia).³

1. 3. °®¶¹´«Ã½ the number of patients with chronic constipation in Asia

The number of patients with the prevalence of self-defined constipation in Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore) is estimated to be about 73 million.³

^{1, 3} Eisai’s internal estimates

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