Eisai and Mizuho Sign Sustainability-Linked Loan Agreement

Eisai Co., Ltd. and Mizuho Bank, Ltd. announced today that the companies have signed a sustainability-linked syndicated loan agreement, which comes into effect today.

Sustainability-linked loans are a type of loan which incentivizes borrowers to achieve sustainability performance targets (“SPTs”) by linking borrowing terms and conditions, such as interest rates, to the achievement of the SPTs, seeking to drive environmental and socially sustainable economic activities and economic growth.

Under the concept of human health care (hhc), Eisai aims to effectively achieve social good in the form of relieving anxiety over health and reducing health disparities. through activities such as innovative drug discovery in the fields of dementia, cancer, and global health. Particularly in the domain of dementia, Eisai has developed “LEQEMBI®”, a new drug for Alzheimer’s disease(AD), which obtained approval in the US and Japan this year. By delivering LEQEMBI to people with early AD around the world, Eisai aims not only to improve their health outcomes but also contribute to address social issues regarding AD, including long term nursing care.

Eisai has set social impact targets for LEQEMBI in the U.S. and Japan based on its social value in terms of its effects on health outcomes and on cost reductions in nursing care and other expenses, and has established these as the SPTs of this agreement. With the funds raised through this agreement, Eisai will promote the creation of social impact through the elimination of diseases of poverty (neglected tropical diseases, malaria, tuberculosis, etc.), in addition to the establishment of programs to offer LEQEMBI to low-income populations for free in the U.S. and emerging countries, and the building of dementia ecosystems.

This agreement has undergone a third-party review* by Rating and Investment Information, Inc. (R&I) regarding its compliance with the Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles issued by the Loan Market Association and other organizations, as well as the Green Loan and Sustainability-Linked Loan Guidelines issued by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment.

Mizuho Bank is committed to the Mizuho group's purpose of “proactively innovate together with our clients for a prosperous and sustainable future”, with the desire to co-create a prosperous future with clients by supporting their endeavors and challenging ourselves. Mizuho’s new medium-term business plan, which began in FY2023, is a three-year journey connecting various initiatives and co-creating value-added solutions in order to support our clients and solve social issues. As part of this, we are seeking out ways to have positive social impacts in areas such as realization of a more inclusive society and improvement in Japan’s global competitiveness.

Mizuho Bank's role in connecting initiatives and creating social impact and outcomes is to support sustainability transformation from multiple angles by working together to find solutions for the development of clients and society from a medium- to long-term perspective.

Mizuho Bank will continue working together with our clients to achieve sustainability transformation by providing sustainable finance that creates a flow of funds to address environmental and social issues, and by providing solutions that utilize knowledge and functions that go beyond finance.

Overview of Loan Terms

Borrower: Eisai
Method: Syndication
Arranger: Mizuho Bank
Lenders: 39 financial institutions
Loan amount: 50 billion yen
Agreement date: December 6, 2023
Drawdown date: December 13, 2023

* Please refer to the opinion provided by Rating and Investment Information, Inc. (R&I).

https://www.r-i.co.jp/en/rating/esg/sustainabilityfinance/index.html

Media Inquiries
Eisai Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Department
+81 (0)3-3817-5120

Mizuho Bank, Ltd
Public Relations Office
+81 (0)3-5252-6574