Alibaba Shares Slide as Jefferies Slashes Price Target Over AI Spending and Business Losses 
China Vanke Seeks Bond Extension Amid Mounting Debt Crisis 
Tokyo Electric Power Attracts Major Investors Amid Billion-Dollar Restructuring Push 
Bank of America Identifies Top Asia-Pacific Semiconductor Stocks Poised for AI-Driven Growth 
MATCH Act: How New U.S. Chip Legislation Could Freeze China's Semiconductor Ambitions 
U.S. Automakers Push Back Against EU Rules Blocking American Trucks from European Market 
Rio Tinto's California Boron Assets Attract Over a Dozen Bidders, Valued at Up to $2 Billion 
SanDisk Joins Nasdaq-100, Replacing Atlassian on April 20 
Pilots Fear Retaliation for Refusing Middle East Flights Amid Ongoing Conflict 
NIO ES9 SUV Launch Sends HK Shares Down 7% Despite Bold Pricing Strategy 
Kia Cuts EV Sales Target for 2030 Amid Slowing Demand and U.S. Policy Shifts 
Anthropic Fights Pentagon Blacklisting in Dual Federal Court Battles 
BHP's Incoming CEO Visits China Amid Pricing Dispute with CMRG 
FedEx Pilots and Union Reach Tentative Agreement on 40% Pay Increase 
Chinese Cars in Europe: Consumer Trust Is Shifting Fast 
Anthropic's Mythos AI Model Sparks Emergency Cybersecurity Meeting With Top U.S. Bank CEOs 
Chalco Stock Surges as Q1 2025 Profit Forecast Jumps Up to 58% 
Eisai Co., Ltd., a Japanese pharmaceutical company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is set to roll out its novel, Leqembi, developed to treat Alzheimer's disease. The company is expected to give the first doses to 1,500 patients in China on the launch of this new medical product.
Growth Prediction After Leqembi's Release
According to Reuters, Eisai will also experience massive growth once the Leqembi officially hits the market. The new drug for Alzheimer's disease will first be available for Chinese patients later this year.
The pharma company's spokesperson explained that it anticipates growth to speed up even more in 2025 because the disease's diagnosis also changes. Moreover, the representative said that more suitable Alzheimer's blood tests will also be ready, and this will further help the company reach a more significant share of the Chinese market, where an estimated 17 million people were diagnosed with an early stage of Alzheimer's.
"China is one of the fastest-aging countries in the world and is one of the most important countries in the area of Alzheimer's disease for Eisai," Eisai's spokesman stated. "The potential growth for Leqembi in China is huge."
Price and Eligibility
Eisai plans to release Leqembi in China and sell it for 200,000 yuan or around $28,180 annually. The company said it has not yet decided if it will ask for government coverage and will only do so after assessing the demand in the private market. If Eisai pushes through, it will be included on China's National Reimbursement Drug List, and prices could be reduced.
To be eligible for treatment with Eisai's Leqembi, patients must undergo cognitive and genetic testing to determine whether they have a gene that increases the drug's adverse side effects.
They must also go through testing to see if they have abnormal levels of amyloid. Once the treatment begins, all patients will still undergo a series of MRI scans to detect any potential fatal swelling and bleeding in the brain.
Approval of LEQEMBI By the FDA
The FDA approved Eisai's Leqembi in July 2023 to treat Alzheimer's Disease. According to the press release, it is the first and only approved treatment that has been able to lessen the rate of the disease's progression. The drug can also slow down cognitive and functional decline in adult patients.
Photo by: Eisai Website
