Eisai and DeNA Launch Easiit App, a Digital Platform for Dementia Prevention

TOKYO, Aug. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo; CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) and DeSC Healthcare Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of DeNA Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo; CEO: Sho Segawa; CMO: Kuniaki Miyake, “DeNA”), recently announced that they began offering the brain function application “Easiit” (a non-medical device, hereinafter referred to as the “Easiit App”) on July 28, 2020, for dementia prevention. The launch of this application is based on a business alliance agreement aimed at providing support and creating new solutions in the field of dementia, as well as jointly developing the Easiit App as a foundational element of the digital dementia platform currently being built by Eisai. With the two companies commencing the provision of the Easiit App, the Eisai Dementia Platform Easiit has been launched.

Eisai brings over 35 years of experience in drug development and commercial activities in the field of dementia, while DeNA excels in providing healthcare services and transforming consumer behavior, leveraging expertise gained from its experience in the gaming and sports industries under the theme of “Staying Healthy Joyfully.” Both companies are committed to promoting better health practices for all by visualizing brain and physical health data, supporting the maintenance of brain function, and providing useful lifestyle information. The two companies will continue their collaboration to create digital platforms, including expanding the functionality of the Easiit App.

Joint Development and ProvisionEasiit AppBackground

In its medium-term business plan, “EWAY 2025,” Eisai aims to become a “Healthcare Social Innovator,” transforming society through pharmaceutical R&D and the provision of various innovative solutions. Particularly in the field of dementia, Eisai is collaborating with partners such as medical institutions, diagnostic development companies, research organizations, and biotech enterprises, in addition to private insurers, fitness clubs, automobile manufacturers, retailers, and care providers, to build a “Dementia Ecosystem” that delivers new forms of well-being. The current collaboration platform, the Easiit APP, will serve as the foundation of this ecosystem.

Eisai aims to collect participant information through this platform, integrate it with Eisai’s independent datasets (including elements such as expertise, experience, and clinical data), and analyze the combined data in accordance with relevant regulations, thereby providing participants with new well-being benefits in the form of various healthcare predictions and recommendations. DeNA’s healthcare business is dedicated to extending “healthy life expectancy” and facilitating a shift from post-illness treatment (“post-disease care”) to disease prevention (“healthcare”). DeNA offers a range of internet-based healthcare services, leveraging its unique expertise derived from its activities in the gaming and sports sectors to create enjoyable user experiences and expand service adoption.

In recent years, various studies have indicated that lifestyle modifications, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and social interaction, can mitigate the decline in brain health. However, on the other hand, surveys conducted by Eisai reveal that few individuals are aware of appropriate preventive measures or undergo regular cognitive function assessments, highlighting a disparity (or “gap”).

The Easitt App, designed to foster healthy habits by visualizing brain and physical health, is central to Eisai’s digital platform business aimed at bridging these gaps. The two companies leveraged their respective strengths to jointly develop the application, and the first version is now available.

Brain Function Application“Easiit App”

The Easiit App weekly updates and displays personalized recommended menus based on users’ step counts, diet, sleep, and weight records (lifestyle logs). It provides personalized scores based on behaviors and habits beneficial to brain function. The Easiit App tracks score changes and breakdowns, encouraging the adoption of healthy habits to maintain optimal brain function. Specifically for dietary logging, the app assesses calorie intake and eleven essential nutrients in meals via photo uploads, and presents this information against age-based standards for calorie and nutrient intake, thereby facilitating easier dietary management. Additionally, users earn Easiit Miles each time they use the app, which can be redeemed for rewards such as gift cards. By integrating with wearable devices and leveraging follow-up features like sleep duration tracking, the Easiit App encourages users to cultivate healthy habits that support brain health.

All features within the Easiit App are designed, developed, and operated within a framework that safeguards personal information.

Planned Features

By the end of September this year, Eisai plans to install on the Easiit App a device connected to “NouKNOW,” a self-check tool for brain function (non-medical device), which Eisai is currently selling to corporate entities. In the future, Eisai plans to add a new feature designed for families whose members live separately.

Furthermore, Eisai is researching future Easiit App devices, whose functionality allows for the integration of medical data with daily lifestyle data (as non-medical devices).

Comments from the Heads of Operations at Two Companies

“Recording and visualizing an individual’s brain and physical health status is essential for maintaining wellness in a personalized manner,” said Keisuke Naito, Vice President of Eisai, Head of the Dementia One-Stop Ecosystem Business Division, and Chief Digital Officer. “The app we co-developed with DeNA enables users to easily track key health metrics, including step count, sleep duration, dietary habits, and nutritional deficiencies. Through the promotion and widespread adoption of the Easiit App, we are firmly taking the first step toward realizing a society where anyone can effortlessly assess their cognitive function, optimize their future lifestyle, and undergo early medical screening.”

Sho Segawa, Vice President of DeNA, Head of the Healthcare Business Division, and President of DeSC Healthcare Co., Ltd., stated, “I first learned about the Eisai brand while watching my parents care for my grandfather, who had dementia. I asked myself, ‘As a member of the healthcare industry, what can I do?’ We will combine Eisai’s expertise in the field of dementia with DeNA’s services to consolidate our professional knowledge within the Easiit App, encouraging and sustaining enjoyable, healthy lifestyles, and striving to accelerate the development of dementia solutions.”

[Editor's Note]

1. On Brain Function (Brain Health) and Related Issues

In recent years, various studies have shown that adjusting one’s lifestyle—such as engaging in regular exercise, maintaining a balanced diet, and participating in social interactions—can mitigate the decline in brain function (brain health). On the other hand, according to a survey conducted by Eisai among Japanese men and women aged 40 to 79, 55.7% of participants understood the significance and content of early assessment and prevention, and 19.7% regularly took appropriate preventive measures regarding diet, exercise, sleep, and other aspects. However, less than 2.1% of participants habitually performed self-assessments of cognitive function. These statistics reveal a disparity (“gap”), which must be addressed to promote understanding of the disease and incorporate cognitive function checks into daily lifestyles.

*An independent online survey conducted by Eisai in Japan in December 2019, involving participants in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s or older, with 200 male and 200 female participants in each age group (total: 1,600 participants).

2. Easiit AppSummary of Detailed Information

Availability: The iOS version was released on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, and the Android version is scheduled for release in late August 2020. Cost: Free; a high-functionality version featuring various additional content and continuous personal data visualization will be launched in winter 2020 and will be charged.

Supervising Editor: Dr. Jun Iwata, Director of the Department of Neurology and Research Institute for Geriatrics, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital

Eisai website:https://www.easiit.com/app

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3. On the Dementia Ecosystem Business

Eisai leverages the R&D and sales of Aricept^®(gained from a drug for treating Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies), aims to establish the “Dementia Platform Easiit” to analyze participants’ health and lifestyle information and then provide recommendations on brain health. In the future, Eisai plans to develop this platform into a digital platform covering both daily life and medical fields.

Leveraging digital platforms, Eisai aims to build a “Dementia Ecosystem” in collaboration with partners such as medical institutions, diagnostic development companies, research institutes, and biotech enterprises, as well as with private insurers, financial institutions, fitness clubs, automobile manufacturers, retailers, and care providers, thereby delivering new well-being solutions.

4. About Eisai Co., Ltd.

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a leading global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan. Eisai’s corporate philosophy is grounded in the concept of “human health care,” which places patients and their families first and contributes to the enhancement of their well-being. Leveraging our global network of research and development facilities, manufacturing sites, and sales affiliates, we are committed to putting our human health care philosophy into practice by providing innovative products for diseases with unmet medical needs, with a particular focus on the strategic therapeutic areas of neurology and oncology. For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visithttps://www.eisai.com。

5. AboutDeNAHealthcare Plan

Guided by its healthcare mission of “Staying Healthy Joyfully,” DeNA provides healthcare services such as the “MYCODE” genetic screening service for health insurance providers and municipal governments, and the “kencom” health engagement application, leveraging its gaming and sports businesses to promote user engagement. In 2019 and 2020, DeNA was consecutively selected as a “Health and Productivity Brand,” a designation jointly awarded by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Tokyo Stock Exchange to recognize companies that strategically prioritize employee health from an operational perspective.

6. AboutDeNA Co., Ltd.

DeNA Co., Ltd.’s corporate mission is “to delight and impact the world.” Leveraging its strengths in the Internet and artificial intelligence, DeNA aims to provide diverse solutions to a wide range of social issues across various sectors, including entertainment (including games and social concerts), the expanding sports industry (including sponsorship of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars), as well as healthcare and the automotive industry. For more information about DeNA Co., Ltd., please visithttps://dena.com/intl/