BELVIQ XR® – A NEW ONCE-DAILY FORMULATION OF BELVIQ® FOR CHRONIC WEIGHT MANAGEMENT NOW AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES

Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) announced today that its U.S. subsidiary Eisai Inc. has launched BELVIQ XR® 20mg tablets, a new once-daily formulation of BELVIQ® (generic name: lorcaserin hydrochloride) for chronic weight management in the United States.

BELVIQ XR is an extended release formulation proven to be slowly absorbed in the body and to last throughout the day. The availability of once-daily BELVIQ XR (20mg) in a single tablet provides patients with another dosing option in addition to the conventional twice-daily BELVIQ (10mg).

Approval for twice-daily BELVIQ was obtained in the United States as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adult patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or greater (obese) or 27 kg/m² or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related co-morbid condition from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012 by Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Headquarters: California, United States, President and CEO: Amit D. Munshi, “Arena”), whom Eisai and Eisai Inc. have an exclusive licensing agreement with to commercialize lorcaserin hydrochloride, and was launched in June 2013. Once-daily BELVIQ XR was approved with the same indication by the FDA in July 2016.

“Eisai is committed to efforts in research and development, disease awareness as well as other activities in order to address the diverse needs of to those living with obesity – a chronic, progressive disease that has serious health consequences,” said Paul Hawthorne, Senior Vice President, Americas Neurology Business Unit, Neurology Business Group, Eisai Inc. “We are excited to offer patients a once-daily option for chronic weight management that may help them achieve and sustain their weight loss goals.”

Through the launch of BELVIQ XR, Eisai continues to make further contributions to address unmet medical needs in the clinical management of obesity and increase the benefits for patients and their families.