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For Immediate Release

Eli Lilly Japan K.K.
Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited

Eli Lilly and Daiichi Sankyo Enter Commercialization Collaboration in Japan for Anti-CGRP Antibody Galcanezumab

Eli Lilly Japan K.K. (headquartered in Kobe-shi, Hyogo, Japan; Representative Director and President: Simone Thomsen; hereinafter “Eli Lilly Japan”) and Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Representative Director, President, and CEO: Sunao Manabe; hereinafter “Daiichi Sankyo”) have concluded an agreement on commercialization collaboration in Japan for galcanezumab (generic name: galcanezumab (genetical recombination)), for which Eli Lilly Japan has submitted a new drug application for the treatment of migraine.  

Under the terms of the agreement, Eli Lilly Japan will hold a marketing authorization for galcanezumab and Daiichi Sankyo will take charge of its distribution and sales after marketing approval. Both companies will provide healthcare professionals with information on the drug.   

Through the commercialization collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo, which has a solid operating foundation in Japan based on the established position and global network in the fields of central nervous system diseases and pain management, Eli Lilly Japan will strengthen its system to provide healthcare professionals with proper information on galcanezumab after marketing approval.

Daiichi Sankyo will make efforts to improve the quality of life of many more patients with migraine by utilizing its operating foundation in various fields, including the field of central nervous system diseases in Japan, through the partnership with Eli Lilly Japan.  

Eli Lilly Japan and Daiichi Sankyo will closely work together through the commercialization collaboration for galcanezumab to help patients with migraine in Japan.

About galcanezumab
Galcanezumab is a monoclonal antibody with a new mode of action. It binds specifically to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which is considered to be associated with migraine, and thereby inhibits binding of CGRP to its receptor. This drug was approved for the prevention of migraine in September 2018 in the United States and is currently used for patients with migraine in 20 countries across the world.  

About migraine
Migraine is a neurological disease found in 3.6% of men and 12.9% of women^*1 characterized by a moderate to severe headache synchronized with heartbeat in one or both sides of the head that lasts for 4 to 72 hours and is sometimes accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. It has been reported to be the second most disabling disease that affects daily activities among all diseases^*2. 
*1：Sakai F. et al, Cephalalgia. 1997;17:15-22
*2：GBD 2017 Non-Typhoidal Salmonella Invasive Disease Collaborators. Lancet Infect Dis. 2019; https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30418-9

About Eli Lilly Japan
Eli Lilly Japan is a Japanese subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company. It contributes to medical treatment in Japan through the import, development, manufacture, and sale of innovative pharmaceutical products that allow people to live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives, focusing on the therapeutic areas such as cancer, diabetes, musculoskeletal diseases, central nervous system diseases, autoimmune diseases, growth disorder, and pain. For more information, please visit our website. http://www.lilly.co.jp