Eisai and CaringKind Launch New Initiative to Address Mealtime and Nutrition Needs for People Living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
Expansion of Magnolia Meals at Home® offers brain-healthy guidance, recipes and resources for people living with ADRD and their care partners
NUTLEY, N.J., June 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai Inc. today announced the expansion of its Magnolia Meals at Home® program to support the Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) community through a new initiative developed in collaboration with CaringKind. Originally created to support households affected by cancer, the program now offers practical, easy-to-use nutritional resources tailored to the needs of people living with ADRD and their care partners.
Magnolia Meals at Home for ADRD provides guidance to help families manage mealtime as part of daily care, including brain-healthy recipes, meal planning and disease stage-specific nutrition considerations. As ADRD progresses, mealtime can become increasingly challenging, and these resources are designed to offer accessible, actionable support that can be incorporated into everyday routines.
This initiative is grounded in the growing scientific evidence linking diet and lifestyle to overall brain health. Findings from the multi-year U.S. POINTER study, a longitudinal clinical trial involving more than 2,000 older adults, suggest that adopting a combination of structured lifestyle changes, including improved nutrition, may help cognitive function in those at risk for decline.1
What Magnolia Meals at Home® Provides
Magnolia Meals at Home for ADRD is designed to raise awareness of the role nutrition plays in daily living and to provide practical support for families. Resources include:
- Easy-to-prepare, brain-healthy recipes for everyday use
- Guidance on maintaining healthy eating habits across different stages of cognitive health
- Helpful tips to support independence and enjoyment at mealtimes
- Local events to raise awareness and help the community put resources into practice
While developed for people living with ADRD and their care partners, these resources may also support individuals looking to take a more proactive approach to brain health.
Eisai and CaringKind will formally recognize this initiative at CaringKind's 30th anniversary of the Forget-Me-Not Gala on June 8 in New York City, held during Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month. This collaboration represents the latest expansion of Eisai's Magnolia programs, which are focused on addressing the needs of patients and families beyond clinical care.
"CaringKind has spent nearly 50 years walking alongside individuals living with dementia and their care partners, and one truth runs through everything we do: families need real support for the real moments of daily life – including the small, daily challenges that don't always make it into clinical conversation," said Eleonora Tornatore-Mikesh, President & Chief Executive Officer, CaringKind. "Helping shape Magnolia Meals at Home for ADRD let us bring that frontline knowledge into a resource families can use immediately."
Why Nutrition Matters for Brain Health
As of 2026, an estimated 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with clinical Alzheimer's dementia, underscoring the growing need for day-to-day support.2 As the disease progresses, changes in cognition and physical function can make it more difficult for individuals to obtain and prepare food, maintain appetite or eat independently – challenges that can impact nutrition and overall well-being.3 At the same time, nutrition plays an important role in overall health, and emerging evidence suggests that healthy dietary patterns may support brain health more broadly, reinforcing the importance of practical, accessible guidance for families and care partners.1,3
"As Alzheimer's disease and related dementias progress, the needs of both individuals and care partners evolve over time," said Teresa Cronin, Vice President, Corporate Communications and Patient Advocacy at Eisai Inc. "Through our collaboration with CaringKind, we developed this initiative to provide families with accessible support that can help them navigate those changes with greater confidence."
Magnolia- Eisai's Commitment to the Patient Community
More than 30 years ago, Eisai Inc. defined its primary mission as giving first thought to patients and their families and increasing the benefits that health care provides. We call this human health care (hhc).
This commitment to hhc is the foundation for our Magnolia programs, initiatives focused on providing patients and their families with support and meeting their evolving needs.
Created in 2012, the Magnolia programs were developed to help address unmet needs, which were identified through interactions with patients and care partners, initially launching in oncology and epilepsy and then expanding to the Alzheimer's disease and related dementias community. This expansion of the Magnolia Meals at Home program is an initial step into helping meet the nutritional and educational needs of the ADRD community.
About CaringKind
For nearly 50 years, CaringKind has been the trusted partner in Alzheimer's and dementia care, walking alongside individuals, families and care partners from the earliest signs of change through every stage of the journey. Through education, counseling, support groups, a 24/7 helpline staffed by dementia specialists and community programs, CaringKind delivers the knowledge and connection families need, all free of charge. If you need help, reach out at 646-744-2900 or wearecaringkind.org.
About Eisai Inc.
Eisai Inc. is a human health care (hhc) company dedicated to pursuing innovative research and simplifying the treatment journey to help improve the lives of people affected by cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Everything we do is guided by the simple principle that patients and their families come first, and we have a responsibility to listen to and learn from them.
Our hhc mission is the shared purpose that connects us to those we serve. It creates a network of powerful relationships that enable us to identify, understand and address unmet needs and healthcare disparities as we work towards achieving societal good.
Eisai Inc. is the U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd. Our U.S. operations include discovery, research and development; manufacturing; global supply and logistics; and commercial activities.
To learn more, please visit https://us.eisai.com and connect with us on X and LinkedIn. For more information on our research, follow our dedicated neurology (LinkedIn and X) and oncology (LinkedIn and X) pages.
References:
- Baker LD, Espeland MA, Whitmer RA, et al. Structured vs self-guided multidomain lifestyle interventions for global cognitive function: The US POINTER randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2025;334(8):681-691.
- 2026 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimer's Dement. 2026 Apr 21;22:e71345. doi: 10.1002/alz.71345. PMCID: PMC13098189.
- Dietitians Australia. Nutrition Issues in Dementia Fact Sheet. Accessed April 2026. Available at: https://member.dietitiansaustralia.org.au/Common/Uploaded%20files/DAA/Resource_Library/MHANDi/MHANDi_2.3_Dementia.pdf
Contacts:
Eisai Inc.
Chris Vancheri
Corporate Communications
[email protected]
CaringKind
Courtney Dawson
Chief Marketing Officer
[email protected]
SOURCE Eisai Inc.
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