Eisai Co.’s shares fell Tuesday following a report that a woman died after receiving the company’s experimental Alzheimer’s drug.
Eisai’s shares 4523, -8.07% fell as much as 12% to Y8,473 and were recently 9.9% lower.
U.S.-based scientific news website Science reported on Sunday that a woman who had received the experimental Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab developed by Eisai and its U.S. partner Biogen Inc. had died from a brain hemorrhage.
Investors are paying close attention to possible safety concerns for lecanemab, although it remains unclear whether the death was caused by the drug.
Eisai and Biogen BIIB, -4.34% are expected to present detailed data on the drug in the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease Conference, BMO Capital Markets analysts say in a note.
“We view this as the most important presentation during the conference,” they say. “Also, we are anticipating more updates from Eisai on the status of coverage and approval conversations,” they add.