Ivan Cheung: A Visionary Pharmaceutical Leader and the Impact of a Risk-Taking Approach on Alzheimer’s Research

Ivan Cheung, CEO of Eisai, Inc., is known for his bold approach to decision-making in the pharmaceutical world. While others in the industry often follow the motto of “fail often, and fail early,” Cheung believes that having the discipline to say yes when everyone else is saying no can lead to great success. In 2019, he took a risk by continuing to develop lecanemab, a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, despite conflicting data from a similar drug, aducanumab. Despite the doubts of many in the industry, Cheung trusted the data and his team showed promising results. The FDA ultimately approved lecanemab in 2023.

After the approval, Cheung worked with patient advocates to make the case for Medicare coverage of lecanemab, which was successful six months later. Now, as CEO of NextPoint Therapeutics focusing on cancer treatments, he sees lecanemab as just the beginning of potential therapies for Alzheimer’s. Cheung believes that lecanemab could lead to more therapeutic options, diagnostic tools, and screening methods to improve care for those with Alzheimer’s. He sees it as the spark that could ignite a whole ecosystem of care for the disease.

Cheung’s success in developing and bringing lecanemab to market has shown that sometimes taking risks and believing in your data can lead to great outcomes. As CEO of NextPoint Therapeutics