TOKYO, Jul 19, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. announced that its Thailand subsidiary Eisai (Thailand) Marketing Co., Ltd. has launched the bile acid transporter inhibitor Goofice (generic name: elobixibat hydrate) in Thailand. This is the first launch of Goofice in the Asian region excluding Japan.

Goofice, which Eisai's subsidiary for gastrointestinal diseases EA Pharma Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, "EA Pharma"), in-licensed from Albireo AB (Sweden), is a once-daily, orally available constipation treatment with a novel action mechanism. Goofice inhibits the bile acid transporter that regulates reabsorption of bile acids thereby increasing the flow of bile acids to the colon. The dual action of moisture secretion and bowel movement promotion is expected to enhance natural defecation.

The prevalence of constipation is high in young women as well as in both elderly men and women. In Thailand, the number of patients with the prevalence of self-defined constipation is estimated to be about 10 million1, and it is predicted that the number of patients will increase year by year as the population ages. In constipation, symptoms such as sensation of incomplete evacuation and hard stools appear in addition to reduction of bowel movement frequency. When such symptoms become chronic, many patients suffer a decline in QOL (quality of life).

In Japan, EA Pharma and Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) respectively market the product under the same brand name, and Eisai is co-promoting with EA Pharma. In Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore), Eisai is responsible for the commercialization and marketing of this product under a contract with EA Pharma.

Eisai will continue to make a further contribution to improve QOL for patients with chronic constipation in Thailand and other Asian countries, through maximization of the product value of Goofice.

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