TOKYO, July 2, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - University College London (UCL) and Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito) have signed a new agreement to extend their long-standing collaboration in drug discovery and development for five more years, taking the partnership through to 2030. This alliance reinforces a unique model built on trust, combining academic excellence with industry expertise to accelerate innovation in neuroscience drug discovery, investigating new ways of treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and other related disorders.
Eisai, a Tokyo-headquartered pharmaceutical company, is globally recognised for pioneering treatments for dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions. One of the most notable outcomes of the UCL–Eisai collaboration to date is the anti-MTBR tau antibody E2814, which was first discovered as part of collaborative research between the two organisations. The antibody is currently being evaluated in the DIAN-TU Phase II/III Clinical trial for Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Disease (DIAD), as well as the Phase II clinical trial for sporadic early AD (Study 202).
In total, eight drug discovery projects focusing on a variety of therapeutic targets have been supported through a £10 million investment to date, with further investment committed over the next five years as part of the extension. These efforts are underpinned by a strong commitment to knowledge exchange, reflected in more than 30 scientific outputs including publications and presentations to date, ensuring jointly acquired insights are shared with the wider community, and helping to move the field closer to delivering meaningful outcomes for patients.
The renewed agreement launches with collaborative projects targeting novel therapeutic pathways while opening the door to UCL researchers across disciplines to bring forward innovative ideas for co-development.
Over the next five years, the alliance will focus on:
- Moving promising collaborative projects through recognised stage gates of the drug development pathway
- Actively seeking and advancing high-potential drug discovery projects to tackle neurodegeneration
- Strengthening the neurodegeneration research talent pipeline by creating specialist scientist roles across joint projects
- Enabling researchers to publish and present findings to the wider scientific community, including at international conferences
- Sustaining close engagement at every level, from senior leadership to project scientists, across both organisations.
First launched in 2012 and spearheaded by the UCL Translational Research Office (TRO) and the Faculty of Brain Sciences, the Eisai–UCL alliance exemplifies a bespoke partnership model that goes beyond traditional academia-industry collaborations. Over the past decade, it has created a dynamic ecosystem that accelerates translational research towards the clinic, nurtures early-stage projects, connects scientific pain points with the right expertise and invests in talent development through initiatives such as jointly funded PhDs and long‑term knowledge sharing between the organisations.
Professor Geraint Rees, UCL’s Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), said: “Long‑term academic–industry partnerships of this depth are rare. The UCL–Eisai alliance shows what can be achieved addressing global health challenges when there is sustained alignment and trust. This five‑year extension gives us the stability to deepen the science, accelerate translation from lab to market, and develop the next generation of research leaders.”
Professor Tom Warner, Professor of Clinical Neurology, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, co-chair of the UCL-Eisai Joint Steering Committee, said: “This renewal reflects the maturity of the collaboration and our shared ambition to take on challenging scientific questions in neurodegenerative disease. The next phase enables us to progress promising research discoveries into therapies with a clear pathway towards patients.”
Dr Katsutoshi Ido, Eisai’s Chief Scientific Officer and co-chair of the Joint Steering Committee, said: “What distinguishes the collaboration with UCL is the depth of neuroscience expertise and the ability to connect early discovery with patient benefit. The Translational Research Office plays an essential role in supporting the partnership, and by working closely together we can more effectively advance promising research towards new treatments for patients.”
Eisai has also announced this month a strategic investment at its manufacturing site in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, supported by the UK Government under the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF), subject to terms and conditions. It demonstrates Eisai’s long-term commitment to strengthening its relationship with the United Kingdom.
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About University College London (UCL)
UCL is a global top 10 university, set up in London 200 years ago to offer education for all. Today, we gather 60,000 staff and students, from over 150 countries, to create a unique city within a city – a research and innovation powerhouse that leads the world in subjects spanning the arts, sciences, technology and the humanities. We’ve nurtured 33 Nobel Prize winners, because here, brave ideas have the scale and the support they need to succeed. We are University College London. And here, it can happen. UCL turns 200 in 2026. Join us for a year of bicentennial events and celebration. www.ucl.ac.uk
About Eisai Co., Ltd.
Eisai's Corporate Concept is "to give first thought to patients and people in the daily living domain, and to increase the benefits that health care provides." Under this Concept (also known as human health care (hhc) Concept), we aim to effectively achieve social good in the form of relieving anxiety over health and reducing health disparities. With a global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to create and deliver innovative products to target diseases with high unmet medical needs, with a particular focus in our strategic areas of Neurology and Oncology. In addition, we demonstrate our commitment to the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which is a target (3.3) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by working on various activities together with global partners. For more information about Eisai, please visit www.eisai.com (for global headquarters: Eisai Co., Ltd.), and connect with us on X, LinkedIn and Facebook. The website and social media channels are intended for audiences outside of the UK and Europe. For audiences based in the UK and Europe, please visit http://www.eisai.eu/ and Eisai EMEA LinkedIn. Eisai actively promotes open innovation with external partners, including academia, biotechnology companies, startups, and pharmaceutical companies worldwide. For partnership opportunities, technology proposals, or research collaborations, please visit: Global Open Innovation and for EMEA External Innovation, contact: externalinnovation@eisai.net