Hikma and Celltrion Healthcare sign new exclusive licensing agreement for Vegzelma® for the Middle East and North Africa region

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma), the multinational pharmaceutical company, announces a new exclusive licensing agreement with Celltrion Healthcare Co., Ltd, a global biopharmaceutical company, for Vegzelma^® (CT-P16, bevacizumab). Under the terms of the agreement, Celltrion Healthcare will be responsible for the development, manufacturing and supply of Vegzelma^® and Hikma will be responsible for the commercialisation of the product in all its MENA markets, providing better access to a much-needed oncology product.

Vegzelma^® is a biosimilar to Avastin^® (bevacizumab) and is a U.S. FDA and EMA approved anti-cancer monoclonal antibody treatment. The new agreement builds on Hikma’s long-standing partnership with Celltrion Healthcare and expands Hikma’s biosimilar portfolio, a key focus of its strategy. Through its existing partnership with Celltrion Healthcare, Vegzelma® (CT-P16, bevacizumab) is the seventh biosimilar to be added to Hikma’s portfolio, which includes the following six products – Truxima^® (rituximab), Remsima® (intravenous infliximab), Herzuma® (trastuzumab), Remsima® SC (subcutaneous infliximab), Yuflyma^TM (adalimumab), and CT-P43 (ustekinumab).

Commenting on the latest agreement with Celltrion Healthcare, Mazen Darwazah, Hikma’s Executive Vice Chairman and President of MENA, said: “We are very excited to be building on our long-term partnership with Celltrion Healthcare. Vegzelma^® is an important oncology biosimilar and this partnership will help increase patients’ access to a critical medication in the region”. He added, “The extension of our partnership with Celltrion Healthcare is highly complementary to our existing strategy of building a portfolio of differentiated products as we continue to focus on putting better health, within reach, every day.”