Japanese firm Eisai Co., Ltd. has announced that Eisai Korea Inc., Eisai’s subsidiary in South Korea, has received marketing approval of Parkinson’s disease treatment Equfina^® (safinamide mesilate, “safinamide”) for the indication of treatment of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease as adjunctive therapy with levodopa-containing products in patients with end of dose motor fluctuations from the regulatory authority in South Korea (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety).

The marketing authorization application for safinamide in South Korea was submitted in July 2019, and through the approval of this application, South Korea became the first country in Asia outside of Japan to grant marketing approval for safinamide.

Under the license agreement signed between Eisai and Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, “Meiji”) in March 2017, Eisai obtained exclusive marketing rights for safinamide in Japan, as well as development and marketing rights in Asia. Meiji obtained manufacturing and marketing approval for safinamide in Japan in September 2019, and Eisai launched safinamide in Japan in November 2019.

Together with providing Equfina as a new treatment option for Parkinson’s disease to patients in South Korea, Eisai will make further contributions to address the diversified needs of and increase the benefits provided to Parkinson’s disease patients and their families in Japan and Asia.