Our Response to the Novel Coronavirus Infection

April 7, 2023

In accordance with our mission as a human health care (hhc) company, Eisai is engaged in activities in response to the novel coronavirus infection such as contributing to the development of therapeutics drug and countermeasure techniques for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), ensuring stable supply of pharmaceuticals, and supporting efforts of counter-measures against COVID-19 in various countries.

1 Contribution to Development of Therapeutics Drug and Countermeasure Technique

1)

In order to accelerate developing new treatments for COVID-19 within the framework of led by WHO and other international organizations, Eisai is participating in a consortium of life science companies entitled “COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator”, initiated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and formed with collaboration from Wellcome and MasterCard. Eisai has provided its unique collection of about 2,650 natural product compounds to the Scripps Institute in the U.S. for constructing a compound library for the development of treatments. Likewise, for vaccine development within the same ACT-Accelerator framework, Eisai provided bulk pharmaceutical E6020 as an adjuvant to be added to vaccine candidates of VBI in the U.S.
In September 2020, life science companies and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced joint communique (New Window) to expand global access for COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
2)

Eisai supplied active pharmaceutical ingredients to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in response to a request “for the provision of active pharmaceutical ingredients applicable for screening of therapeutic agents for novel coronavirus”, which the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare requested to the Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Japan and the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association in February 2020.
3)

Eisai is proceeding its efforts for realizing new therapeutic agents that apply its assets and technologies, through collaborations with academia and external organizations.
4)

Regarding Eisai’s in-house discovered Toll-like receptor 4 inhibitor eritoran (E5564), a clinical study which had been evaluating the agent as a treatment for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in REMAP-COVID, a sub-study of REMAP-CAP (A Randomized, Embedded, Multifactorial, Adaptive Platform trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia) conducted in collaboration with the Global Coalition for Adaptive Research (GCAR), was discontinued in May 2022 due to changes in the COVID-19 landscape.

2 Stable Supply of Pharmaceuticals:

Eisai is making every effort in ordinary times to assure a supply of pharmaceuticals by maintaining stable production in addition to securing sufficient inventories for a stable supply of pharmaceuticals. In order to make provision against the impact on the supply chain due to re-expansion of the novel coronavirus infection, Eisai has been continuing increasing of product inventories in order to further strengthen its system for stable supply of pharmaceutical products. Eisai presently continues to upholding the stable operation, stable production as well as continued stable supply of medicines, while maintaining sufficient inventories of drug substances and raw materials for mainstay products at all of nine pharmaceutical manufacturing sites around the world. Furthermore, Eisai is committed to continue close monitoring of circumstances and taking any necessary precautions.

3 Supporting Activities toward Counter-measures to Prevent the Spread of the Novel Coronavirus Infection in Various Countries:

In Japan, Eisai is providing relief supplies including its own products to patient organizations, municipalities, and non-profit organizations.

In the United States, our American subsidiaries have provided over $1,000,000 in total in funding to US medical institutions and non-profit organizations of patient communities. In addition, they have provided Personal Protection Equipment (PPE: masks, goggles, and hazmat suits) to medical institutions locally.

In Europe, through its EMEA subsidiaries, Eisai has provided €945,000 in funding to not only the World Health Organization (WHO) but also medical institutions and the organizations supporting patients vulnerable to COVID-19 in the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, Belgium, France, Portugal, and the Slovak Republic.

In China, Eisai has donated 1 million yuan to the Wuhan Charity Federation, a non-profit organization, through its Chinese subsidiary. Also, Eisai provided local medical institutions with medicines and medical relief supplies.

In Asian countries and regions except China, Eisai has donated 11.8 million rupees to federal emergency funding and others in India. Also, Eisai will provide the donation and the relief supplies to support organizations in Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Mexico.

In the Africa and other regions, Eisai has donated the equivalent of 1 million USD in aid in order to support controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus infection and to prevent delays in NTDs (neglected tropical diseases) elimination activities.

1)

Eisai has assented and supported a project led by CA Medlynks Kenya, Ltd. (Headquarters: Nairobi), a subsidiary of the healthcare startup company engaged in improving healthcare access in Africa, Connect Afya Co., Ltd., which aims to build a new structure for the efficient testing framework for the novel coronavirus infection in Kenya. CA Medlynks Kenya, Ltd., in collaboration with the government of Meru County in Kenya, supports the setup of PCR testing laboratories, along with procurement of equipment necessary for testing and training of screening technicians.
2)

Eisai has provided PPEs (masks, goggles, face shields, etc.) to key hospitals involved in clinical research of infectious diseases in collaboration with DNDi (Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative) for the elimination of NTDs. In addition, Eisai supported the development and dissemination of the mobile health platform “LEAP”, a mobile learning solution for training healthcare providers, through donating to the Amref Health Africa, an international NGO.
3)

In Kenya, Eisai provided masks and sanitizers for infection control of local staff who carry out mass drug administration (MDA) of treatments for elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF).
4)

With the cooperation of AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief of Refugees, Japan), an international NGO, Eisai provided masks to Sudan, Zambia and Uganda, and supported COVID-19 countermeasures in main COVID-19 hospitals and health centers / clinics in refugee settlements.
5)

In cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Eisai provided masks and gloves for initiation of MDA for elimination of NTDs in Papua New Guinea which is located in Oceania. We received a letter of appreciation from the National Department of Health of Papua New Guinea for the donation of masks and gloves as well as consistent supply of DEC tablets for continued support of LF elimination.

4 Efforts for Preventing the Spread of Infection and Ensuring the Safety of Employees

Eisai is taking all possible actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during corporate activities and operations at its facilities, in accordance with government and municipal policies.

1)
External activities/business trips/events/etc.
- Domestic external activities and business trips via online are utilized, and when face-to-face meetings are necessary, infection control measures are taken.
- Internal meetings and trainings are held in a format combining face-to-face and online which is appropriate for purpose. In the case of meetings in conference rooms, thorough measures are taken to prevent infection.
- For events sponsored by Eisai for outside parties, consider holding them online or in combination with online, while complying with the "event holding restrictions" set by each local government.
2)
Visiting medical facilities
- Visits to medical facilities are carried out with careful consideration of the situation at each medical facility with keeping infection control measures in mind and setting safety as the first priority.
3)
Preventing the spread of infection and securing the safety of employees
- Visitors to Eisai facilities are requested to measure body temperature upon arrival, and must refrain from entering in the case of fever or otherwise tiredness or difficulty breathing. Entrants to Eisai facilities are asked to thoroughly wash hands with soap and water or clean hands with an alcohol-based hand rub, and wear a mask.
- Eisai promotes flexible work styles that are tailored to own work, and encourage employees to work in the best place for the organization, team, or own work.
- The working from home rate was 65% in the corporate Headquarters area in March 2023.
- Eisai employees should refrain from coming to work when their co-residents continue to have a fever.
- Any Eisai employees who have had interaction with those infected with the novel coronavirus or those involved in close contact to the COVID-19 patients are to refrain from going outside and from coming to work.
- Eisai employees are to conduct daily health checks (measuring body temperature, etc.), and are to refrain from coming to work in the case of fever or unusual physical condition, and visit a medical facility.
- Eisai employees are strongly required to wear a mask when conversing in the workplace.
4)
Eisai’s response to vaccination

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