Singapore’s leading specialty pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare group, Hyphens Pharma International Limited’s subsidiary, Hyphens Pharma Pte. Ltd., has entered into an exclusive license, development and commercialisation agreement with Maruho Co., Ltd. (“Maruho”) for the exclusive rights to register and commercialise Amenalief® Tab 200mg (INN: amenamevir1) tablets in the 10 ASEAN countries for the treatment of herpes zoster, also known as shingles, and recurrent herpes simplex.
Amenalief® is a new oral medication for the treatment of shingles that works in a distinctive way and is to be taken only once daily versus currently available options that have to be taken three or five times a day.
Mr Lim See Wah, Chairman and CEO of Hyphens Pharma remarked: “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 5 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.”
Shingles is a viral infection caused by a reactivation of the dormant chickenpox varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Shingles strikes when a person’s immunity is weak and often manifests as a blistering and painful rash. In Singapore, more than 90% of adults over 50 years old carry VZV and older persons are at higher risk of developing shingles. The main treatment for shingles is anti-viral medications like Amenalief®.
Maruho’s Amenalief® is a new medication and has a novel mechanism of action that inhibits the proliferation of VZV by inhibiting the activity of the helicase-primase complex which is essential for viral DNA replication. Amenalief® has proven to be effective against VZV when administered once a day for seven days, versus standard therapies that require either three or five times dosing per day. Unlike other oral therapies, Amenalief® does not require any dosage adjustment in patients with renal impairment, a common concern in older patients. Amenalief® was approved and launched in Japan since 2017.
Mr Atsushi Sugita, President and CEO of Maruho commented: “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.”
