Eisai Opens GBP100 Million European Headquarters Facility in the UK

Hatfield, England (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Leading Research-Based Pharmaceutical Company Creates New
Manufacturing and Research Jobs in UK

Eisai, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, today
officially opened its new 'European Knowledge Centre' (the EKC) in
Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

Committed to developing new medicines for patients with
conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and
epilepsy, as well as several new treatments for cancer, Eisai has
invested over GBP100 million in Hatfield - bringing more than 500
jobs to the area. These include some 250 newly created jobs in
research at the company's first ever manufacturing facility in
Europe, also based at the EKC. The company's European headquarters,
discovery research and clinical development teams are also based on
the same site, as are the UK sales and marketing operations.

Speaking at today's opening of the EKC, Ivan Lewis MP, Minister
of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said: "In choosing to
base its new European headquarters in the UK, Eisai has demonstrated
its long term commitment to supporting the British economy. It is a
very positive move both for the company and for this country. This
government has put the pharmaceutical industry at the heart of its
economic agenda, and we are delighted to see this level of investment
being made by Eisai. It is a real sign of confidence in the direction
the UK and European economies are taking."

President and CEO of Eisai Co., Ltd., Mr Haruo Naito CBE, said:
"Eisai believe that integrating all company functions on a single
site will both encourage the creation of knowledge and improvements
in our quality, efficiency and productivity. This in turn contributes
towards achieving our corporate mission of human health care (hhc),
that is, to help to improve the lives of patients and their families
by developing innovative medicines as quickly as possible.

"This is an exciting day for the company. The newly opened
European Knowledge Centre will not only act as a hub for managing our
current business across Europe but it will play an important role in
supporting our operations in driving further growth for Eisai in
Europe, one of our key investment markets."

The Japanese ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Shin Ebihara,
said: "Our two countries enjoy a warm, forward-looking relationship.
The opening of Eisai's splendid new European Knowledge Centre will
add a new page to the long history and excellent economic
relationship between the UK and Japan through scientific cooperation
and employment creation. Medical and pharmaceutical advances by the
industry are beneficial to both countries. I hope these can be
extended on such a scale so that our combined experience and
knowledge can be shared globally."

Sir Terry Pratchett, the best-selling author who suffers from
early stage Alzheimer's disease, speaking at today's opening said:
"Since I was diagnosed with this disease I have always said that my
goal is to stay alive and working as long as possible. I realise that
I am far more fortunate than many sufferers, not least in the unusual
variant of the disease that I have. I know the next two decades will
see a tsunami of Alzheimer's sufferers, all desperately hoping for a
treatment which will allow them to live more easily with the
condition. We need to speed up research and, incidentally, the speed
in which successful discoveries get to patients. Alzheimer's research
started late compared to many other diseases and the wave is already
breaking. I welcome the opening of the new research facility at the
EKC as another step towards making these goals a reality for me and
many hundreds of thousands of others around the world. I hope
everyone employed in it works overtime!"

ots Originaltext: Eisai Europe Limited
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For further information please contact: Andrew Day at
andrew_day@eisai.net, T: +44(0)845-676-1395, M:+44(0)7973-411-419;
Linda Rose at linda_rose@eisai.net, T: +44(0)845-676-1507, M:
+44(0)7788-592-842