Eisai and Wellness Dining Begin Social Implementation of Initiatives Aimed at Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Dementia, Targeting Public Nutrition Improvement

Eisai Co., Ltd.'s hhceco Business Strategy Department (Tokyo, hereinafter "Eisai") is pleased to announce that it has begun the social implementation of initiatives aimed at reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, in collaboration with Wellness Dining Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, hereinafter "Wellness Dining"), with the goal of improving disease awareness activities and public nutrition.

Healthy eating plays an extremely important role throughout life, including growth, development, and disease prevention. In recent years, it has also been reported to be effective in preventing dementia and MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment). As understanding of the importance of early detection and early intervention for cognitive decline increases, appropriate diet is considered one of the important options for reducing the risk of dementia.

Eisai is collaborating with Wellness Dining, which offers home-delivered meals tailored for lifestyle-related diseases, to promote understanding of MCI and dementia among the public. The two companies are undertaking the following initiatives:

Development of Home-Delivered Meal Menus Contributing to the Reduction of Cognitive Decline Risk

Eisai has provided Wellness Dining with the "Guidance on Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Nutrition" and the "Handbook for Developing Home-Delivered Meals/Meal Kits Contributing to the Reduction of Cognitive Decline Risk," created under the supervision of the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology. Based on these, Wellness Dining has started selling home-delivered meals developed to support dietary habits that consider cognitive function*.

*Development, manufacturing, and sales are carried out under the responsibility of Wellness Dining.

Example of "Omoide Irodori Takushoku" Menu

Promotion of Disease Awareness Activities

Eisai is leveraging its knowledge in the dementia field to cooperate with Wellness Dining's disease awareness activities for the public. This includes providing educational training on MCI and dementia for Wellness Dining's registered dietitians and staff, as well as information for disease awareness aimed at the general public.

Eisai aims to create social impact and realize a "society where no one is left behind and people can live with dementia" by building a dementia ecosystem through collaboration with other industries. Through its partnership with Wellness Dining, Eisai will contribute to people's well-being and dementia countermeasures from the aspect of "food."

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Reference Materials

1. About "Guidance on Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Nutrition" and "Handbook for Developing Home-Delivered Meals/Meal Kits Utilizing Academic Knowledge on Cognitive Function"

From the perspective of nutritional intervention provided by WHO, Eisai reviewed 8,269 domestic and international papers, including those by Dr. Takashi Sakurai, Director of the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, and compiled the "Guidance on Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Nutrition" and the "Handbook for Developing Home-Delivered Meals/Meal Kits Utilizing Academic Knowledge on Cognitive Function (i.e., Handbook for Developing Home-Delivered Meals/Meal Kits Contributing to the Reduction of Cognitive Decline Risk)" under the supervision of the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, to enable food-related companies to leverage academic knowledge for new business.

<Overview of Guidance on Reducing the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Nutrition>

Old age is a period when the focus shifts from preventing overnutrition, mindful of lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, to preventing undernutrition, mindful of frailty countermeasures. It is also a period when the risk of developing dementia increases. In elderly individuals with cognitive decline, the risk of overnutrition may increase due to changes in preferences and eating habits, or the risk of undernutrition may increase due to reduced food intake caused by decreased physical function and activity levels. It is said that nutritional imbalances are more likely to occur in these individuals than in the general elderly population. This guidance aims to deepen understanding of what kind of diet may reduce the risk of cognitive decline by reviewing domestic and international research on nutrients and diets that reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

<Overview of Handbook for Developing Home-Delivered Meals/Meal Kits Utilizing Academic Knowledge on Cognitive Function>

General home-delivered meal/meal kit menus are formulated based on the "Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2020 Edition, last updated: January 21, 2020)" and the "Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (Eighth Revised Edition) Supplement 2023 (published April 2023)." This handbook is a reference material compiled for registered dietitians and others who develop menus, providing information for developing "menus for home-delivered meals/meal kits utilizing academic knowledge on cognitive function" while adhering to these standards.

2. About Wellness Dining Co., Ltd.

With the corporate philosophy of "Warm Health Support Group for Body and Family," Wellness Dining plans and sells carefully prepared home-delivered meals specializing in restricted diets and soft home-delivered meals for dysphagia. Registered dietitians are always on staff, and they strive to offer proposals and support that allow people to not forget the "joy of eating" even while on a restricted diet, and to feel positive. The goal is not just to sell home-delivered meals, but to help people become healthy.