May 2024
NTDs/Three Major Infectious Diseases Research Project Portfolio
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*Please click each item for details.
As of May 2024
| Disease
Chagas Disease |
Project Name
Chagas vaccine (using immunostimulant E6020) |
Partner
Sabin Vaccine Institute |
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| In August 2014, Eisai entered into a joint research agreement with the Sabin Vaccine Institute (Washington D.C., United States, “Sabin”), the Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Texas, United States) and Aeras (Rockville, Maryland, United States) to develop a vaccine for Chagas disease. This research was jointly initiated by Eisai and Sabin in 2012 with the aim of developing a new vaccine that utilizes Eisai's in-house discovered selective TLR4 agonist, E6020, as a novel adjuvant (a substance that enhances immune effects). If development of this novel anti-Chagas disease vaccine succeeds, it could potentially prevent cardiac complications from Chagas disease and slow onset of the disease. | ||
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| Disease
Chagas Disease |
Project Name
AI-enhanced screening for PDE inhibitors |
Partner
Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) |
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| There is an urgent need for new treatments for Chagas disease. Given their integral roles in trypanosome signaling and low homology with human counterparts, phosphodiesterases (PDEs) have been positioned as drug targets for Chagas disease.
This project aims to validate PDEs as drug targets for Chagas disease and identify selective inhibitors using an AI-enhanced screening cascade. |
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| Disease
Leishmaniasis |
Project Name
DNDI-6174 |
Partner
DNDi |
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| DNDI-6174 presents a new mode of action to the leishmania portfolio as well as good characteristics of compound in the early research stage. It was nominated as a pre-clinical candidate, and Eisai and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland, “DNDi”) collaborate to prepare the way for future Phase I clinical development. | ||
| Disease
Filariasis |
Project Name
AWZ1066S (Phase I study) |
Partner
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine University of Liverpool |
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| Eisai is collaborating with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (Liverpool, United Kingdom) and the University of Liverpool (Liverpool, United Kingdom) to jointly identify new drugs effective against lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis (river blindness), both major types of filariasis. Eisai is responsible for the provision of drug substance and formulation manufacturing. The Phase I clinical study is being conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. | ||
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| Disease
Filariasis |
Project Name
Corallopyronin A |
Partner
University Hospital Bonn & Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research |
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| In March 2024, Eisai commenced research in collaboration with University Hospital Bonn (Germany) and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (Germany) to jointly identify a new drug effective against lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis (river blindness), both major types of filariasis. The goal is to promote pre-clinical development of a treatment candidate which can effectively eradicate the worms that cause filariasis by first eliminating the Wolbachia bacteria inside them which the worms (filariae) depend upon for growth, development and survival. | ||
| Disease
Mycetoma |
Project Name
E1224 - Eumycetoma (Phase II/鈪� study) |
Partner
DNDi |
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| Eisai is collaborating with the DNDi for a new treatment for eumycetoma, a fungal form of mycetoma with a particularly high unmet medical need, and one of the world's most neglected diseases. Eisai is mainly responsible for non-clinical studies and the provision of the investigational drug. A Phase IIb/III clinical study was conducted in Sudan by DNDi and the Mycetoma Research Center of the University of Khartoum, Sudan. Currently, preparation for regulatory filing to the regulatory authorities (National Medicines and Poisons Board) in Sudan is underway. | ||
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| Disease
Malaria |
Project Name
SJ733 (Phase II study) |
Partner
University of Kentucky |
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SJ733 is expected to be suitable for treatment in malaria-endemic areas, with rapid efficacy and safety, and providing lasting protection against reinfection. The treatment might potentially solve the problem of increased resistance faced by current antimalarial medicines. In the ongoing collaboration with the University of Kentucky, Eisai is responsible for the provision of drug substance and formulation manufacturing. The Phase II clinical study is being conducted in Peru by the University of Kentucky. |
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| Disease
Malaria |
Project Name
E1018 |
Partner
Broad Institute Department of Defense |
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| In September 2014, Eisai entered into a joint research agreement with the Broad Institute (Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, “Broad”) to develop a new antimalarial treatment. Eisai and Broad work together to jointly evaluate compounds screened from Broad's library and identified E1018, a compound with the potential to be used in clinical trials. The goal of this research is to develop an oral medicine that will rapidly cure malaria, and by interrupting the transmission of plasmodium (the parasite that causes malaria), will prevent malaria reinfection. | ||
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| Disease
Malaria |
Project Name
E1511 |
Partner
MMV |
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| Eisai has identified GWT1 as a novel drug target of malaria parasites, and furthermore, has identified in-house compounds that inhibit the function of GWT1. Exploratory research starting from these identified compounds in collaboration with Medicines for Malaria Venture (Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland, “MMV”) is in progress, and is currently at the compound optimization stage. | ||
| Related URL | ||
| Disease
Malaria |
Project Name
SJ733 (suppository formulation) |
Partner
University of Kentucky MMV |
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| Severe malaria (SM) is a medical emergency requiring immediate parenteral treatment. SM affects two million people per year. The current WHO treatment of choice is available in some developing countries, but is not registered in the US, Europe, Australia, Japan, and many other countries. Given the relatively narrow availability of current treatment, potential issues with resistance, and the tolerability and safety issues of the older drugs there is an emerging interest in developing drugs for severe disease. SJ733 (suppository formulation) is expected to be a strong candidate for the treatment of SM. | ||
| Related URL | ||
| Disease
Malaria |
Project Name
Anti-CSP monoclonal antibody |
Partner
Ehime University, GlaxoSmithKline plc., PATH |
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| In October 2021, the WHO recommended the world's first RTS, S malaria vaccine (RTS, S) to immunize children in endemic areas. RTS.S shows the efficacy by inducing high-titer antibodies against the amino acid repeat region of the CS protein (CSP) of Plasmodium falciparum. This project aims to isolate and develop a potent anti-CSP monoclonal antibody (mAb) for malaria, and conduct preclinical and clinical development as a preventive antibody drug for malaria. | ||
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| Disease
Malaria |
Project Name
Inhibitor of DHODH |
Partner
Broad Institute, MMV |
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| In 2018, the Broad Institute (Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, “Broad”) and Eisai have started joint research for the development of new anti-malaria drugs based on the inhibition of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). The aim of this study is to optimize the compounds found in Broad and to contribute to the elimination of malaria in combination with appropriate partner therapeutics for candidate compounds to reduce the resistance emergence in clinical practice. | ||
| Disease
Malaria |
Project Name
Screening of novel compounds |
Partner
MMV |
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| The project is unique in that three Japanese pharmaceutical companies collaborate with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and its partners. Funded by the GHIT Fund, each company will screen its own compound library for new pharmacologically relevant anti-malaria targets. | ||
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| Disease
Malaria |
Project Name
Malaria vaccine (using immunostimulant E6020) |
Partner
Vaccine Formulation Institute CH, Ltd. |
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| The Vaccine Formulation Institute CH, Ltd. (VFI) is a not-for-profit company whose mission is to facilitate access to adjuvant technologies for the benefit of the global vaccine community, through provision of adjuvants, research and development on vaccine formulations and training. Various vaccine combinations are possible with E6020 as an adjuvant substance. Currently, Eisai is collaborating with VFI on developing a vaccine for malaria. | ||
| Disease
Malaria |
Project Name
Exploratory research on prophylaxis by ASOs |
Partner
University of California, San Diego (UCSD) |
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| Development of effective new liver-stage prophylactic agents is a priority. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are well-matched to this unmet need, offering the possibility of long-duration activity and benefiting from effective delivery to hepatocytes using well-established conjugation technology. Furthermore, ASOs are a platform technology that enable highly selective targeting of essential Plasmodium genes, with the potential to access previously undruggable targets and accelerate development of additional drugs following initial validation. | ||
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| Consortium | Project Name
NTD Drug Discovery Booster |
Partner
DNDi |
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| The “Neglected Tropical Diseases Drug Discovery Booster” consortium was formed in May 2015 with the aim of accelerating early stage drug discovery for Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease, through a multilateral, coordinated search process across screening systems and compound libraries owned by participating companies under the leadership of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). Eisai joined the consortium as one of four founding companies (Eisai Co. Ltd., Shionogi & Co. Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Ltd., and AstraZeneca plc). Currently, more companies have joined the consortium. This innovative research model has the potential to cut up to two years from the early drug discovery process, which generally takes approximately five years or more. | ||
| Related URL | ||
| Consortium | Project Name
TB Drug Accelerator |
Partner
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
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| In November 2013, Eisai became a signatory to the Tuberculosis Drug Accelerator (TBDA) partnership, a groundbreaking initiative that aims to speed up the discovery of essential new treatments for tuberculosis (TB). Jointly launched in June 2012 through a collaborative agreement among seven pharmaceutical companies and six research institutions with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this partnership targets the discovery of new TB drugs by working together on early-stage research. Accordingly, Eisai and all other participating companies will provide their compound libraries for screening anti-TB drugs, and by sharing candidate compounds with the other partners when they are identified, will cooperate in order to rapidly and efficiently create a new therapy for TB. | ||
| Related URL | ||
| Consortium | Project Name
COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator |
Partner
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
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| Eisai is participating in the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with Wellcome and Mastercard. Eisai is engaging in research and development of new drugs for COVID-19 as well as preparedness for future pandemics. | ||
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| Consortium | Project Name
AMR Screening Consortium |
Partner
GARDP (Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership) |
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| In this project, compounds, which have never been screened for antibacterial activity, will be screened from the collaborating pharmaceutical companies' chemical libraries developed by latest medicinal chemistry efforts. | ||
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