Eisai is moving ahead with a major upgrade of its manufacturing facility in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, backed by support from the United Kingdom’s Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF). The Japanese drugmaker is investing approximately 48 million pounds sterling ($64.5 million) to expand the site and introduce new cold-chain supply and packaging capabilities for medicines that require temperature-controlled handling, including Leqembi (lecanemab). According to an Eisai spokesperson, the company’s investment was “supported and enabled by the LSIMF grant.” The project is designed to strengthen the company’s operational footprint in the country while advancing an in-house packaging approach for medicines currently supported by third-party contract manufacturers. The Alzheimer’s drug packaging initiative will focus on expanding capabilities for products requiring specialized storage and handling conditions.
The Hatfield facility, which currently operates as an oral solid dose site, will be upgraded in phases. Eisai said the completed project will allow the plant to handle temperature-controlled injectable and infused medicines. Planned additions include ambient and cold-chain warehouses, new packaging buildings, packaging lines, and expanded goods receipt and dispatch functions. The company said these enhancements will increase the site’s ability to support markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “This strategic investment reflects our long-term commitment to strengthening resilient supply capabilities for our innovative medicines and pipeline products, while further deepening our long-standing relationship with the United Kingdom,” Haruo Naito, Eisai’s CEO, said in a statement Monday.
The investment comes as the U.K. seeks to reinforce its life sciences manufacturing base through the LSIMF, a program launched in 2024 to support production capacity for medicines, diagnostics and medical devices while helping the country prepare for future health emergencies. England’s government has committed up to 520 million pounds ($699 million) to the initiative. Eisai’s announcement also arrives after a period of concern within the pharmaceutical industry regarding the attractiveness of the U.K. market for investment. Recent policy developments, including changes to the country’s voluntary rebate scheme for medicines and a pharmaceutical arrangement reached with the United States, have been viewed as positive signals by industry participants.
Leqembi, which received an initial U.K. approval in mid-2024 for certain patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease, remains unavailable through the National Health Service despite regulatory clearance. NICE determined in August 2024 that the benefits of the medicine did not justify coverage costs. However, the agency later agreed to revisit its assessment of Leqembi and Eli Lilly’s Kisunla (donanemab). An Eisai spokesperson said the NICE appraisal committee is expected to meet on July 8, with an outcome anticipated around August. The expansion tied to Alzheimer’s drug packaging is expected to support future supply requirements as the company continues to pursue broader access for the treatment.
