Eisai Co., Ltd. announced a significant step forward in the fight against Alzheimer's disease (AD) today, with its U.S. subsidiary Eisai Inc. committing up to 15 million USD in investment to C2N Diagnostics LLC. This move is designed to bolster C2N’s initiatives to broaden the reach, accessibility, affordability, and usage of blood-based diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's disease in the United States. This new investment supplements an ongoing collaboration initiated in August 2022, aimed at promoting the use of blood-based assays for diagnosing dementia in clinical settings across the U.S.

The diagnosis of AD has traditionally relied on the detection of amyloid β (Aβ), a hallmark of the disease, through either positron emission tomography (PET) scans or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests. Eisai's investment in C2N underscores a shared commitment to advancing blood-based Aβ diagnostic solutions that promise both accuracy and cost-effectiveness, thus offering a viable alternative to the more invasive and expensive existing diagnostic procedures.

Keisuke Naito, Global Alzheimer's Disease Officer and Senior Vice President at Eisai, emphasized the importance of this development: “With the limitations in cost and capacity of PET and CSF tests, we are dedicated to nurturing the growth of the dementia care ecosystem. Access to less invasive and more affordable diagnostic tools is critical for widespread management of Alzheimer’s disease.”

In the U.S. alone, an estimated 6.7 million people are grappling with Alzheimer's dementia. Accurate diagnosis cannot be solely based on clinical symptoms, making the need for simple and precise blood-based testing ever more critical. Such advancements could lead to more timely diagnoses, expanded access to treatments, and a reduction in healthcare and caregiving expenses, thus facilitating earlier and more effective intervention. Moreover, the introduction of blood-based tests holds promise for improving care in underserved communities and locales where amyloid PET and CSF testing are not readily available.

Eisai's investment and collaborative efforts with C2N are indicative of the company’s broader commitment to advancing Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and care, particularly through the development and support of blood-based diagnostic technologies. By working alongside diagnostic companies and local governments to expand the dementia ecosystem, Eisai aims to alleviate the concerns of individuals living with Alzheimer's, as well as their families and caregivers.