Eisai Co, Ltd

Performance in the 2026 Index

14th place. Eisai performs below average overall. Performance in Governance of Access is supported by board-level oversight, responsible sales practices and access-linked executive incentives. In Product Delivery, performance is below average. However, it registers products in more countries than peers on average. In research and development (R&D), it is among the lower-performing companies, reflecting limited access planning across its pipeline.

Opportunities for Eisai

Broaden access planning for fosravuconazole across endemic countries. Eisai is working with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) to advance fosravuconazole (E1224), a potential new treatment for eumycetoma, a neglected tropical disease, and has an access plan that includes activities to support registration in Sudan. With Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund support, further studies are planned in Kenya, Senegal and India to generate evidence to support future regulatory registration. Building on these efforts, Eisai can expand access planning to support the availability and sustainable delivery of fosravuconazole, if approved, to patients in resource-limited settings across endemic regions. 

 Build on its growing presence in Africa to expand equitable access to key products. Eisai has strengthened its presence in sub-Saharan Africa through direct operations in South Africa and a branch in Kenya, with the intention to expand access in additional southern and eastern African countries for products including eribulin (Halaven®), perampanel (Fycompa®) and lenvatinib (Lenvima®; Kisplyx®). It has registered these products in the region, but limited evidence of supply has been reported to the Index. Eisai can build on this growing regional presence by expanding registration and implementing equitable access strategies in additional countries in Africa. 

 Extend its approach to a systematic, company-wide methodology for measuring patient reach. Eisai currently has a published patient reach methodology for lecanemab (Leqembi®), lenvatinib (Lenvima®; Kisplyx®) and diethylcarbamazine citrate tablets. The methodology is limited to the individual product level. The expanded approach could include a systematic, company-wide methodology for measuring patient reach across its portfolio, including metrics, an equation, assumptions and limitations.  

Changes since the 2024 Index

• In February 2026, secured GHIT Fund support through the DNDi-led Chagas disease collaboration to advance the identification of novel phosphodiesterase inhibitor lead compounds.  

• Gained full development rights for taletrectinib (Ibtrozi®) for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Russia, Turkey, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and India.  

• Eisai and DNDi received a JPY 330mn grant from the GHIT Fund to support a Phase III clinical trial of fosravuconazole (Frapuma) for eumycetoma in Kenya, Senegal and India. The trial aims to generate additional evidence to support a World Health Organization (WHO) treatment recommendation and regulatory registration of the medicine.  

• Renewed its long-standing partnership with University College London to accelerate treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. 

Sales and Operations

Therapeutic areas: Oncology, neurology, tropical diseases 

Product categories: Innovative medicines 

M&A news: In 2025, Eisai acquired EcoNaviSta for JPY 16bn.

Sample of pipeline and portfolio assessed by the Index

PIPELINE for diseases in scope

Eisai has 25 R&D projects in scope, 14 of which target priority diseases, including malaria (7), leishmaniasis (1) and Chagas disease (1). The remaining 11 R&D projects target other diseases in scope, focusing on cancer (8) and Alzheimer’s disease (3). Of its 25 R&D projects, 8 are in late-stage development, with evidence of access planning for 25% (2/8) of these.

PORTFOLIO as selected for analysis by the Index

Eisai has 9 medicines in scope, 1 of which is listed on the WHO EML. Most of its medicines are on patent (7) and treat NCDs, such as cancer (4) and epilepsy (2). It has 1 neglected tropical disease medicine that treats lymphatic filariasis. 

Performance Breakdown

Governance of Access

RANK 13th, SCORE 3.60

13th place. Eisai is a middle-performing company in Governance of Access. It has board-level oversight, access-linked incentives for senior executives and in-country managers and robust anti-corruption controls. It measures and reports patient reach only for certain products, but it does not have a systematic, company-wide methodology for measuring patient reach. 

Has board-level oversight of access to medicine via its Governance Committee. This committee oversees access-related strategies and reviews related matters at least annually. Eisai has direct access-related incentives for senior executives, including the CEO, and in-country managers via remuneration plans. It provides training and awareness activities supporting access-to-medicine implementation, though the frequency of these activities was not disclosed publicly or to the Index.  

Shows strong commitment to responsible sales and promotional practices. Eisai sets targets at individual, team and country levels, and incentives are not solely based on sales volume. For example, in China, incentives are also based on product knowledge assessments and compliance with policies. Eisai commits to ensuring ethical interactions with healthcare professionals in its Compliance Handbook. It also declares that transfers of value to healthcare professionals (e.g., payments for speaking at symposia) are made at fair market value. It publicly discloses information on such payments in countries in scope if required by law or local regulation. 

Has a robust set of controls to promote ethical conduct and mitigate risk to ensure that governance efforts are not undermined by non-compliant or corrupt activities. Eisai performs strongly in this respect. It has policies to mitigate non-compliance risks, including processes to ensure third-party compliance with company standards, fraud-specific risk assessments and region or country risk-based assessments. It has an ethical decision-making framework for employees and provides related training annually. No breaches in countries in scope were found during the analysis period.  

Publicly supports the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health. It states that compulsory licensing provides a balance between protecting intellectual property and public health in appropriate circumstances.  

Performs moderately in its approach to measuring and reporting on patient reach. Eisai has a product-level approach covering certain products; however, no systematic, company-wide methodology has been identified. It publicly discloses product-specific methodologies, but the level of disclosure varies by product. It has set measurable, time-bound product-related patient reach goals, with demonstrated progress. Global patient reach is publicly reported at least annually for these products.

Research and Development

RANK 16th, SCORE 1.34

16th place. Eisai is among the lower-performing companies in R&D. Its average-sized priority disease pipeline has an access plan for one of two late-stage projects,* targeting one low-income country (LIC). Its smaller pipeline addressing other diseases has limited access planning, mostly in emerging markets. It discloses disaggregated R&D investment data to global health organisations, but not publicly.  

Average-sized pipeline addressing priority diseases in scope, compared to peers, consisting of 14 projects, with access plans identified for 1 of its 2 late-stage R&D projects. Eisai’s only access plan,* in partnership with an access-oriented organisation, focuses on registration preparation and post-trial access, directly targeting 1 LIC (Sudan).  

^{*After the period of analysis, the company provided the information that access planning for its other late-stage project, targeting malaria, is being developed by an external partner.} 

Small-sized pipeline addressing other diseases in scope, compared to peers, consisting of 11 projects, with access plans identified for 17% (1/6) of its late-stage R&D projects. These projects target diseases not currently identified as priorities by global health stakeholders. Eisai’s only access plan focuses solely on registration preparation, with limited geographic scope focused predominantly on emerging markets. 

Does not publicly disclose R&D investment data disaggregated by disease category, product type or phase of development. However, Eisai does disclose anonymised disaggregated R&D investment data to Impact Global Health. 

No evidence of R&D capacity-building initiatives that meet inclusion criteria. 

Product Delivery

RANK 12th, SCORE 2.38

12th place. Eisai performs below average in Product Delivery. It registers newer products in more countries than peers on average. It reports access strategies for both healthcare practitioner (HCP)-admin­istered and self-administered products, though with limited geographic coverage and information on outcomes. Capacity building and health system strengthening performance is mixed, with only a few initiatives meeting all Good Practice Standards (GPS). 

Registers newer products* in more countries (9) than its peers on average. Eisai’s products are, on average, registered in 2 countries with the highest burden of disease, in line with the industry average. For 2/5 of the products assessed, there is evidence of registration in LICs. Eribulin (Halaven®), indicated for breast cancer, is its most widely registered product, totalling 36 countries. It reports engaging in several mechanisms to facilitate registration, including regional joint assessment procedures such as ZAZIBONA and EAC-MRH.  

^{*Products that received their first marketing authorisation within the last 5 years.}  

Not eligible for assessment of supranational access strategies because none of its products in scope are supranationally procured.  

Access strategies for both HCP-administered products but with limited geographic coverage and data on outcomes. For eribulin (Halaven®), indicated for breast cancer, Eisai provides evidence of access strategies in 1 upper-middle-income country (UMIC) and 1 lower-middle-income country (LMIC), but not in any LICs, whereas for the 2nd product assessed, lecanemab-irmb (Leqembi® IQLIK™), indicated for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, only a UMIC example is reported. For eribulin, in the Philippines (LMIC), Eisai implements a comprehensive patient assistance programme (PAP) to provide financial and non-financial support to patients. It reports the number of patients enrolled in the PAP. Outcomes are also reported only for the UMIC strategies in place for both products, as volumes sold during the period of analysis.  

Access strategies for its self-administered products with some information on outcomes, but no LIC coverage. For the 2 products analysed, Eisai provides evidence of access strategies in UMICs and LMICs, but not in LICs. It shows efforts to ensure access to and affordability of its products in the reported country examples. For the LMIC examples, it provides evidence of efforts to improve product affordability for patients who pay out of pocket by applying discounts or implementing patient assistance programmes. It provides evidence of tracking the outcomes of most of the strategies assessed, but reports the number of patients reached only for the UMIC examples.  

Publicly commits not to file for or enforce patents on a subset of products in a subset of countries in scope. This commitment applies to products indicated for infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases and maternal and neonatal diseases, in countries in scope classified as LDCs and LICs.  

Publicly discloses product patent status for countries in scope. Eisai publicly discloses patent information for small molecules in scope via the Pat-INFORMED database, including information such as filing date, grant number, grant date and jurisdiction.  

Does not engage in non-exclusive voluntary licensing for products in scope.  

1 manufacturing capacity-building initiative was included for analysis, but it does not meet all GPS. Since 2013, Eisai has supported SCL Lifesciences in India to strengthen manufacturing capacity for diethylcarbamazine API, for a key medicine used in the elimination of lymphatic filariasis. Eisai is supporting the partner through technical assistance and quality assurance support.  

2 of the 3 supply chain capacity-building initiatives included for analysis meet all GPS. For example, Eisai is a member of the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative which audits suppliers and builds capacity across multiple areas such as ethics, human rights, health and safety, environment, and governance and management systems.  

1 of the 5 health system strengthening initiatives included for analysis meets all GPS. Eisai partners with a local hospital and digital health platform in China to provide targeted health management and intervention services for high-risk dementia groups. The initiative involves providing brain health check-ups and personalised guidance.  

Newly engaged in 3 IP-sharing agreements with public research institutions and drug discovery initiatives to accelerate drug development. In 1 agreement, Eisai collaborates with Medicines for Malaria Venture on malaria drug discovery and compound characterisation to support R&D. Eisai remains engaged in existing agreements.  

Publicly commits to continuing its long-term donation programme to support the elimination of lymphatic filariasis. Eisai commits to donating diethylcarbamazine citrate tablets for an unlimited period until lymphatic filariasis is eliminated as a public health problem. This programme is active in 19 countries in scope.  

Fulfils 1 of 3 mechanisms to ensure continuous supply in LMICs and is involved in local manufacturing at its own sites in countries in scope and demonstrates involvement in a technology transfer (TT). The TT is designed to improve patient access, including ongoing support to the manufacturer. Eisai manufactures diethylcarbamazine citrate tablets at its own site in India to support supply for lymphatic filariasis elimination programmes.  

Has a policy for reporting substandard and falsified medicines in countries in scope. Eisai reports cases to WHO Rapid Alert and/or national or local regulatory authorities within 24 hours to 7 days. It provides evidence of shortened reporting timeframes for cases that only require visual inspection for confirmation.  

 No evidence of inclusive business models that meet all inclusion criteria.