The Pharma Letter Podcast — Episode 23 — AAIC preview with Eisai deputy CCO Michael Irizarry

In the runup to the annual meeting of the Alzheimer’s Association, this week we are speaking with Michael Irizarry, deputy chief clinical officer at Eisai US.

At the event in July, there will be plenty to discuss, with recent new data from Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) suggesting its anti-amyloid candidate, donanemab, is likely to provide healthy competition for Eisai's (TYO: 4523) own Alzheimer’s product, lecanemab - marketed in the USA as Leqembi.

Like Lilly, Eisai has been a pioneer in neurology, sticking with its Alzheimer’s research even when times were tough and it looked like a clinical breakthrough would never come.

That we are now talking about potentially three approved products for early Alzheimer’s shows how quickly development has advanced - as both Lilly and Eisai look ahead to the possibility of offering more beneficial subcutaneous treatments in future.

In the podcast this week, we will discuss Eisai’s upcoming presentations at AAIC and consider what the future might hold for the treatment of Alzheimer’s.