In the pharmaceutical industry, executives often adhere to the motto of “fail often, and fail early,” knowing when to cut their losses and move on. However, Ivan Cheung, CEO of Eisai, Inc., takes a different approach – having the discipline to say yes even when everyone else is saying no.
In 2019, Cheung made a bold decision to continue developing lecanemab, a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, despite conflicting data from a similar drug, aducanumab. Despite the risks, Cheung trusted in the data and his team’s efforts. Their hard work paid off as lecanemab was approved by the FDA in 2023.
After the approval, Cheung worked closely with patient advocates to make a strong case for Medicare coverage of lecanemab. His efforts were successful six months later. Now, as CEO of NextPoint Therapeutics focused on cancer treatments, Cheung views lecanemab as just the beginning of potential therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. He believes that lecanemab has the potential to lead to more therapeutic options, diagnostic tools and screening methods that can improve care for those with Alzheimer’s disease. For Cheung, lecanemab is not just a success story but also a spark that could ignite an entire ecosystem of care for this debilitating disease.