AbbVie, Eisai, and EA Pharma Launch “Humira® Support Tool Ordering Service for Patients” - an Initiative to Improve Patients’ Adherence to Humira® Therapy

AbbVie GK (Headquarters: Tokyo, President: James Feliciano, "AbbVie"), Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, "Eisai"), and EA Pharma Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Yuji Matsue, "EA Pharma”) announced today that, on September 13, 2021, the companies launched “Humira^® Support Tool Ordering Service for Patients” an initiative intended to improve patients’ adherence to Humira^® therapy.

“Humira Support Tool Ordering Service for Patients” is a free-of-charge service that assists patients on Humira therapy by directly delivering support tools to their home or other requested location. Patients can use this service by applying on the website or using a designated form to request support tools such as containers for disposal of used syringes, bags for disposal of used pens, disease-specific health management notebooks, and disease-specific medication guides for patients. The requested support tools are delivered to their home or other desired location free-of-charge.

Formerly, patients received the support tools they needed during a clinic visit. When the support tools they needed were not available at the clinic, it took time to deliver the support tools to patients, potentially resulting in unavailability of the tools when needed. In addition, some large-sized tools, such as containers for disposal of used syringes, put a burden on patients who had to carry them home. This service is intended to allow patients to shorten the time required to receive support tools and reduce the burden of carrying them.

In Japan, AbbVie is the marketing and manufacturing authorization holder for Humira. Abbvie and Eisai are co-promoting Humira for the indications in the fields of rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, arthropathic psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, uveitis, pustular psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa and pyoderma gangrenosum. For the indications in the field of gastrointestinal disease (i.e., Crohn’s disease, intestinal Bechet’s disease and ulcerative colitis), AbbVie is co-promoting Humira with EA Pharma, commissioned by Eisai for promotion.

Through providing “Humira Support Tool Ordering Service for Patients,” AbbVie, Eisai, and EA Pharma are committed to further enhancing patient support programs and contributing to improved treatment adherence.

About HUMIRA

HUMIRA^® is a fully human anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody. In Japan, it is approved for “the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (including inhibition of the progression of structural damage); hidradenitis suppurativa, pyoderma gangrenosum, the treatment of plaque psoriasis, arthritic psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis*, intestinal Behçet's disease, and non-infectious intermediate, posterior and panuveitis that are refractory to the conventional therapies, induction and maintenance therapy for moderate to severely active Crohn's disease (limited to patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy), and treatment of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (limited to patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy).”

* HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 20 mg Syringe 0.2 mL is approved. HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 80 mg Syringe 0.8 mL and HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 80 mg Pen 0.8 mL are yet to be approved.

Nonproprietary name: Adalimumab <recombinant>

Brand name: Fully Human Anti- TNF- α Monoclonal Antibody “HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 20 mg Syringe 0.2 mL; HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 40 mg Syringe 0.4 mL; HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 80 mg Syringe 0.8 mL; HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 40 mg Pen 0.4 mL; and HUMIRA for Subcutaneous Injection 80 mg Pen 0.8 mL”

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com.

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About Eisai

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a leading global research and development-based pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan. We define our corporate mission as "giving first thought to patients and their families and to increasing the benefits health care provides," which we call our human health care (hhc) philosophy. With approximately 10,000 employees working across our global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to realize our hhc philosophy by delivering innovative products to address unmet medical needs, with a particular focus in our strategic areas of Neurology and Oncology. For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit www.eisai.com.

About EA Pharma

EA Pharma Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd. for gastrointestinal disease area, was established in April 2016 by integration of the gastrointestinal business unit with more than 60 year’s history of the Eisai Group and the gastrointestinal business unit of the Ajinomoto Group having amino acid as its business core. EA Pharma Co., Ltd., is a gastrointestinal specialty pharmaceutical company with a full value chain covering R&D, production & logistics and sales & marketing.

For further information on EA Pharma Co., Ltd., please visit https://www.eapharma.co.jp/en.