September 7, 2010
To Members of the Press
SymBio Pharmaceuticals Limited
Eisai Co., Ltd.

SymBio and Eisai to Launch Symbenda® (Bendamustine Hydrochloride)in Singapore for the Treatment of Low-grade Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Chronic
Lymphatic Leukemia
SymBio Pharmaceuticals Limited (Headquarters: Tokyo, President & CEO: Fuminori Yoshida,“SymBio”) and Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President & CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”)
announced today that Eisai’s Singapore subsidiary Eisai (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. will launchbendamustine hydrochloride (“bendamustine”) in Singapore under the brand name Symbenda® as atreatment for low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and chronic lymphatic leukemia.
Bendamustine is the subject of a license agreement concluded between the two companies in May
2009, in which SymBio granted Eisai the exclusive rights to develop and market the agent in Singapore
and South Korea. A regulatory application seeking approval of bendamustine was submitted to theSingapore health authorities (Health Sciences Authority: HSA) by SymBio on December 24, 2008 andwas approved on January 20, 2010. The product will be marketed by Eisai (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
Approximately 300 people in Singapore are newly diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma each year.
It is well-known that many low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients are prone to repeated relapse
after responding to initial treatment, making further treatment difficult despite extended overall survival.
Bendamustine has been used for many years in Germany as a treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
multiple myeloma and chronic lymphatic leukemia. It is also available in the United States, where it wasapproved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March 2008 for the treatment for chronic
lymphatic leukemia and in October the same year for the treatment of relapsed indolent B-cell
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In Japan, SymBio submitted a Marketing Authorization Application to theJapanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare seeking approval of bendamustine for the treatmentof recurrent or refractory low-grade non-Hodgkin’s’ lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma. On August30, 2010, the Pharmaceutical Affairs Committee of the Ministry’s Pharmaceutical Affairs and FoodSanitation Council recommended bendamustine for final approval. If approved, Eisai will market thedrug exclusively in Japan.
By launching bendamustine in Singapore, SymBio and Eisai seek to provide a new treatment option for
low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and chronic lymphatic leukemia, thereby making further
contributions to improving the quality of life of patients living with these diseases.
[Please see the following notes for further information on bendamustine hydrochloride, SymBio and Eisai]Media Inquiries
Tomoyuki Watanabe, Director,
Finance & AccountingSymBio Pharmaceuticals Limited
Tel +81-3-5472-1125

Public Relations
Eisai Co., Ltd.
Tel +81-3-3817-5120

Notes to editors
1.

About Bendamustine Hydrochloride
SymBio Pharmaceuticals Limited acquired the exclusive rights to develop and market bendamustinehydrochloride in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore from Astellas Deutschland GmbH
(Headquarters: Munich, Germany, formerlly Astellas Pharma GmbH). Bendamustine was originally synthesized byGerman (formerly ‘East German’) pharmaceutical company Jenapharm and is currently marketed in Germany
under the brand name of Ribomustin® as a treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma and chronic
lymphocytic leukemia. In the United States, the product has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration and is currently prescribed under the brand name Treanda® for the treatment of chronic
lymphocytic leukemia and relapsed indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
2.

About SymBio Pharmaceuticals Limited
SymBio Pharmaceuticals Limited was established in March 2005 by Fuminori Yoshida, who previously served

as corporate vice president of Amgen Ltd. and president of Amgen Japan. The company’s underlying corporate
philosophy is “delivering hope to patients in need,” and the company aims to address the unmet medical needs ofpatients in Japan and the Asia Pacific region by cultivating a mutually beneficial or symbiotic relationship among
key players in the healthcare industry (i.e. physicians, scientists, investors, government, and patients). For more
information about SymBio Pharmaceuticals Limited, please visit www.symbiosis.co.jp/en/index.html
3.

About Eisai Co., Ltd.
Eisai Co., Ltd. is a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets

products throughout the world. Eisai focuses its efforts in three therapeutic areas: integrative neuroscience,
including neurology and psychiatric medicines; integrative oncology, which encompasses oncotherapy andsupportive-care treatments; and vascular/immunological reaction. Through a global network of research facilities,
manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, Eisai actively participates in all aspects of the worldwide
healthcare system. For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit www.eisai.co.jp/index-e.html