The Mumbai-based Eisai Pharmaceuticals India has identified Wockhardt as the company's partner for the manufacture of its Alzheimers drug Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride tablets) in India. Wockhardt will be manufacturing the drug in India on behalf of Eisai, which will be marketed exclusively by Eisai India in the country, said Deepak Naik, managing direcror, Eisai India.

Aricept will be the second product that Wockhardt will be manufacturing in the country for Eisai, after Methycobal (mecobalamine) in India. Wockhardt also markets Methycobal in the country.

"Eisai will be transferring the technology to manufacture Aricept to Wockhardt. The drug will be out in the Indian market by mid-2005, and will be marketed exclusively by Eisai India," said Naik.

According to him, more than 2.3 per cent of the total population in India, above 60 years of age contracts Alzheimers disease. The market potential is huge for new products targeted against the disease. However, due to the lack of awareness among the patients and their guardians, the drug consumption is meagre, and the total market is restricted to just Rs 45-50 lakh per month, he said. There are already about eight copycat manufacturers of Aricept in India, said Naik.

In order to make drugs reach every Alzheimers patient, awareness has to be generated among the patients, their guardians and medical fraternity. For this purpose, the company has plans to set up memory clinics and dimentia centres across major hospitals in the country. These centres would assist in providing education, screening assistance and health care to patients affecting with dimentia and Alzheimers.

Aricept will begin its marketing operations by July 2005. It is in the process of recruiting 40 health care executives, who will be tracking 4,000 neuropsychiatrists across the country.

According to Naik, Eisai has no plans of setting up its own manufacturing subsidiary for the time being in the country, and would prefer to outsource its requirements from third party sources. However, in the long run, the company may think of setting up its own subsidiary.

Eisai Co. specialises in the fields of neuropsychiatry, gastroenterology and oncology. In 2005, Eisai India will launch Aciphex/Pariet, a proton pump inhibitor. In 2006, the company will be launching Myonal, a muscle relaxant and two more products for epileptic control.