China approves Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi by Eisai and Biogen

[January 09, 2024]  TOKYO (Reuters) - Eisai and Biogen said on Tuesday that their Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi had won approval in China, the third country after the United States and Japan.

The two companies are preparing to launch the drug in the second quarter of Eisai's 2024/25 business year starting in April.

Leqembi is an antibody designed to remove sticky deposits of a protein called amyloid beta from the brains of Alzheimer's patients. It is the first treatment shown to slow progression of the disease for people in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's.

Japan approved the treatment in September after a standard approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July.

(Reporting by Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

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