Eisai begins operations at new H3 Biomedicine site

Eisai has announced the commencement of operations at the new H3 Biomedicine research facility in Massachusetts.

The new site will be utilised by Eisai's research subsidiary to conduct cutting-edge genetic research in the field of personalised cancer therapy, combining knowledge of patients' genetic profiles with the latest synthetic organic chemistry advances.

Eisai is providing H3 Biomedicine with up to $200 million (127.8 million pounds) in research funding over the coming years, with plans to further expand the company's staff size and laboratory capabilities.

Dr Markus Warmuth has been appointed as the president and chief executive officer of the business, bringing with him extensive experience in the fields of drug discovery, cancer biology and clinical oncology.

"Eisai will accelerate the development of naturally-derived, antibody and small molecule drugs based on cutting-edge cancer genomics, as it seeks to make contributions to patients and families living with cancer," the company added.

This comes after Eisai and Johns Hopkins University announced a new neurology-based alliance in October 2011.