Hyphens Pharma International’s subsidiary, Hyphens Pharma, has entered into an exclusive license, development and commercialisation agreement with Maruho. The agreement is for the exclusive rights to register and commercialise Amenalief Tab 200mg tablets in the 10 Asean countries.
The medication is for the treatment of herpes zoster, which is also known as shingles. It can also treat recurrent herpes simplex.
Shingles is caused by a reactivation of the dormant chickenpox varicella-zoster virus. In Singapore, over 90% adults aged over 50 years old carry the viral infection. Older people are also said to be at higher risk of developing shingles. Anti-viral medications like Amenalief are the main treatment for shingles, says Hyphens Pharma.
Amenalief was approved and launched in Japan since 2017.
“When considering a partner to extend the market reach of Amenalief, we believe Hyphens Pharma is the best partner for us, given their status as a leading specialty pharma company focused on the commercialisation of innovative pharmaceutical products in the Asean region. Hyphens Pharma’s focused strategy to grow its dermatology portfolio makes it an excellent partner for Maruho to bring Amenalief to the Asean region, with its large and growing market of over 600 million people,” says Atsushi Sugita, president and CEO of Maruho.
“We are very pleased and honoured to be entrusted by Maruho, the leading dermatology-focused pharmaceutical company in Japan, to bring Amenalief to Asean. Currently available drug for the treatment of shingles must be taken up to five times a day. This affects compliance. Both doctors and patients will welcome the convenience of Amenalief. We plan to register and launch Amenalief as soon as possible. This will benefit patients as well as bolster our position as Asean’s leading pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare group,” adds Lim See Wah, chairman and CEO of Hyphens Pharma.
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The agreement will not have a material effect on Hyphens Pharma’s net tangible assets (NTA) or earnings per share (EPS) for the group’s FY2024 ending Dec 31.
Shares in Hyphens Pharma closed flat at 28.5 cents on June 5.
