Eisai Initiates Non-Clinical Research for COVID-19 Therapeutics Leveraging Eritoran and E6011
Eisai
Pharmaceutical Product R&D and Manufacturer
Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine
The Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine actively engages in international cooperation across numerous specialized medical fields, providing advanced, high-quality healthcare services to patients with infectious diseases, chronic conditions such as diabetes and metabolic disorders, and intractable diseases. In collaboration with the Bureau of International Health Cooperation and affiliated research institutes, the hospital offers educational opportunities for interns, researchers, and nurses from around the world, while also delivering medical care to foreigners living and working in Japan. For decades, the hospital has served as a leading institution for postgraduate medical education, conducting comprehensive training programs for clinical trainees, residents, and nurses within Japan; in recent years, it has further expanded its efforts to include the education of undergraduate medical students. Currently, the Nursing Department is implementing a primary nursing system to enhance the professionalism of nursing services and strengthen the continuity of individualized patient care.
KAN Research Institute
KAN Research Institute: Exploratory Drug Research and Life Sciences-Related Research.
Nagasaki University
Nagasaki University was established in 1949 through the merger of several institutions, with its origins tracing back to 1857. As a national university in Japan, it is the premier institution of higher learning in Nagasaki Prefecture. Its undergraduate faculties include: the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Environmental Studies, the Faculty of Fisheries, the School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry, and the Faculty of Economics. Its graduate schools include: the Graduate School of Education, the Graduate School of Economics, the Graduate School of Science and Technology, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Graduate School of International Health Development.
Yokohama City University
Yokohama City University is a public university in Japan, established in 1949. Its main campus is located in Seto, Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
TOKYO, Oct. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo; CEO: Haruo Naito; hereinafter referred to as “Eisai”) recently announced that it has entered into a joint research agreement with four Japanese research organizations—the KAN Research Institute, the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Japan, Nagasaki University, and Yokohama City University—on the project titled “Development of Therapeutic Agents to Prevent the Worsening of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)” (Grant Number: 20fk0108255), which is one of the research projects led by Eisai as the representative research organization. This joint research project was selected in the second public solicitation under the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)’s fiscal year 2020 program for promoting innovative research and development of treatments for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, specifically within the initiative “Development of Therapeutic Agents for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).”
In patients with COVID-19 due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, severe cases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and subsequent multi-organ failure have been reported. Researchers hypothesize that the formation and exacerbation of vasculopathy and cytokine storm*It is involved in the process of disease exacerbation, but the mechanisms underlying worsening based on SARS-CoV-2 infection are not yet fully understood.
In this collaborative study, non-clinical animal models of SARS-CoV-2 infection will be established. Furthermore, Eritoran, a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) antagonist discovered by Eisai, and E6011, an anti-fractalkine (FKN) antibody identified by KAN Research Institute (a research subsidiary of Eisai), will be evaluated. Meanwhile, the project will facilitate biomarker research using clinical samples derived from patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. This collaborative study aims to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the exacerbation of COVID-19 following SARS-CoV-2 infection and to develop therapeutics for preventing disease progression.
In the fight against the spread of COVID-19, Eisai will be based onCaring for Human Health (hhc）philosophy, continuing to develop therapeutic drugs, stabilize drug supply, and support related activities in various countries.
*Cytokine Storm: A state of immune dysregulation in which the production of cytokines that activate immune responses becomes uncontrolled, leading to the release of large amounts of cytokines.