BioArctic AB's partner Eisai has announced that Leqembi Pen, the subcutaneous formulation of lecanemab, has been launched in Japan for the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease. Japan is the second country, following the US, where the subcutaneous formulation of Leqembi has been launched.
Leqembi Pen was approved in Japan on September 16, 2026, and has now been included in Japan's National Health Insurance (NHI) Drug Price List. It is the first and only anti-amyloid treatment in Japan that enables at-home administration.
Leqembi Pen is administered using an autoinjector and provides patients with a once-weekly subcutaneous treatment option in addition to intravenous (IV) administration every two weeks in a medical facility. The approved dose is 500 mg once weekly, administered through two pens.
The availability of Leqembi Pen provides patients and care partners with greater flexibility in how treatment is administered. At-home administration may reduce the need for clinic visits associated with IV treatment and make treatment easier to integrate into everyday life. It may also reduce the use of healthcare resources associated with IV administration. After appropriate education and training, treatment can be self-administered by the patient or administered by a family member or care partner under the management and guidance of a physician.
As with IV administration, MRI monitoring for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) is required prior to treatment initiation and at specified time points thereafter.
