School of Medicine

WashU, Eisai form drug discovery collaboration

Brain scans of an Alzheimer’s patient taken over the course of years show growing yellow, orange and red areas, reflecting the spread of the Alzheimer’s protein amyloid beta through the brain. At the first scan (left), the patient was cognitively normal; by the last (right), the patient had developed cognitive impairments. Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the pharmaceutical company Eisai Co. Ltd. have formed a research collaboration aimed at developing new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. (Image: Brian Gordon)

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the pharmaceutical company Eisai Co. Ltd., headquartered in Japan, have formed a research collaboration aimed at developing new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. The two organizations previously have partnered on Alzheimer’s clinical trials, and the new alliance combines their complementary efforts to identify and validate biomarkers and drug targets for a range of neurodegenerative conditions, with a goal of developing new drugs for the benefit of patients worldwide.

“Washington University School of Medicine is a global leader in neuroscience research, and we’re expanding support for translating such research discoveries into therapies that can have a direct and meaningful impact on patients’ lives,” said David H. Perlmutter, MD, the George and Carol Bauer Endowed Dean of the School of Medicine, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor. “Our collaboration with Eisai enhances our bench-to-bedside drug discovery pipeline for neurodegenerative conditions.”

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