KYORIN and Eisai Enter Into License Agreement Concerning the Development and Marketing of Vibegron, a Treatment for Overactive Bladder, in Four ASEAN Countries

TOKYO, Mar 31, 2021 – (JCN Newswire) – KYORIN Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of KYORIN Holdings, Inc., and Eisai Co., Ltd. have entered into a license agreement for development and distribution of vibegron, a therapeutic agent for overactive bladder, in four ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states; Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Based on this agreement, Eisai will acquire exclusive development and marketing rights from KYORIN for the agent in the said four countries, and will be responsible for submitting a New Drug Application for the agent.

Overactive bladder (OAB) is the name for a group of urinary symptoms characterized by urinary urgency, usually accompanied by increased daytime frequent urination and/or nocturia, and in some cases by urge urinary incontinence. OAB has a detrimental impact on patient health-related QOL (quality of life), interfering with the patients’ daily life such as preventing them from going out due to anxiety that they often go to the bathroom due to OAB, and reducing quality of sleep.

This agent is a novel beta3-adrenergic receptor agonist administered once daily, acting selectively on beta3 receptors in the bladder, relaxing the bladder to enhance urine collection, and consequently improving the symptoms of urgency, urinary frequency and urge urinary incontinence associated with OAB.

KYORIN has been making a contribution to improving the quality of life of patients with OAB through early penetration of the agent into the Japanese market. With the execution of this agreement, KYORIN will now work with Eisai to make the agent available in the licensed territory and promote the expansion of its business internationally.

Eisai is making efforts to determine and meet the diversified needs of each market in the licensed territory, and will continue to actively expand and enrich its strategic product portfolio to match the needs of the region.

In September 2009, KYORIN and Eisai signed a license agreement for the development and marketing in Asia of Uritos Tablets (generic name: imidafenacin), a therapeutic agent for overactive bladder, discovered and developed by KYORIN, and as of today Eisai sells Uritos in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar. By developing and commercializing vibegron in addition to Uritos, the two companies will provide patients with new treatment options for OAB and make further contributions to improving the quality of life and increasing benefits to patients with OAB.

Copyright 2021 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com