Otsuka inks agreement with Eisai to acquire rights to hematological cancer treatment Dacogen

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Otsuka) has announced an agreement with Eisai Inc. (Eisai), a U.S. subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd. to acquire rights to the hematological cancer treatment Dacogen^® and to an enzyme inhibitor, E7727.

Purpose and Significance of the Agreement

Otsuka's activities in the area of hematological malignancies began in March 2008 with the promotion of IV Busulfex^®, a conditioning agent used prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Since 2010, Otsuka has co-promoted Sprycel^® in a joint venture with Bristol-Myers Squibb for treatment of patients in Japan, the U.S. and Europe with chronic myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Otsuka also has in phase II clinical trials a prodrug subcutaneous injection of decitabine, SGI-110. With Dacogen^®, and potentially in the future with SGI-110 and ASTX727, Otsuka aims to further improve the quality of treatments available to patients with hematological malignancies.