RESONA and Eisai Enter Into Business Alliance Aiming to Support People Living with Dementia and to Prevent Dementia in Saitama Prefecture, Japan

Apr 28, 2021 12:33 JST

Source: Eisai

Building Dementia Ecosystem

TOKYO, Apr 28, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Saitama Resona Bank, Limited, a corporation of the Resona Group, and Eisai Co., Ltd. announced today that both parties have entered into a business alliance agreement for building an ecosystem with the aim of supporting people living with and preventing dementia ("dementia ecosystem"), in order to realize a regional community where citizens of Saitama Prefecture can live with peace of mind for a long time while maintaining their health.

Image of a sustainable community with dementia ecosystem

In Saitama Prefecture, the speed of aging of society is estimated to be at the top level in Japan. Therefore, one of the major issues is making efforts to create a community where people can live with dementia, and prevent the onset of dementia. Through this business alliance, Resona and Eisai will build a "dementia ecosystem" that combines Resona's customer network in Saitama Prefecture and Eisai's wealth of experience and knowledge in drug creation activities and disease awareness activities in the field of dementia, aiming to support Saitama citizens and people working in companies in Saitama prefecture to maintain a healthy life and create a sustainable community.

As the first step in this effort, the customers of the investment trust "SAITAMA RESONA GLOBAL BALANCE PLUS ESG - SaitamaDGs -"(1) handled by Resona will be provided with Eisai's digital tool for self-assessment of brain performance (brain health) "NouKNOWTM" (pronounced "NOH-NOH", non-medical device).(2) We will provide the customers at Resona with opportunities to build assets and contribute to the local community through investment in Saitama Prefecture bonds, etc., and support them to secure their life by providing an opportunity to regularly check brain performance and maintain brain health by improving lifestyle habits.

Furthermore, Resona and Eisai will collaborate with local governments, companies, universities, public institutions, etc. in Saitama Prefecture through the dementia ecosystem, aiming to co-create value for realizing a sustainable community where citizens of the prefecture can live with peace of mind. For example, to reduce and eliminate anxieties, to enable them to lead a prosperous retirement life, or to enable companies in Saitama Prefecture to engage in efforts for health and productivity management.

(1) This is an investment trust in which Resona makes international diversified investments and ESG investments as a medium- to long-term asset formation support for its customer, as well as investments in Saitama prefectural bonds. Resona provides its customers with the opportunity to participate in the realization of the SDGs and contribute to the local community and society in Saitama Prefecture through their asset management. Resona will meet the needs of its customers who want to contribute to the creation of a society that can withstand the COVID-19 pandemic, by donating a part of the profits of the product to Saitama Prefecture's "COVID-19 Infection Countermeasure Fund" which is the initiative taken by the Saitama Prefecture Office to support the activities of medical professionals and medical institutions.
(2) "NouKNOW" is conducted through a simple card test using a PC or tablet device to quantitatively measure brain performance in four tests evaluating psychomotor function, attention, learning and memory, and working memory. This digital tool allows users to self-assess independently and in a short time frame (approx.15 minutes), enabling regular assessments in instances such as daily life and health checkups. On the results screen, a score (brain performance index (BPI)) - as a measurement of quantified brain performance aspects such as memorization, cognition, and decision - appears along with lifestyle advice for maintaining brain performance.

Source: Eisai
Sectors: BioTech