Hikma and SK Biopharmaceuticals enter a strategic partnership for the Middle East and North Africa

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma), the multinational pharmaceutical company, today announces a new strategic partnership and exclusive licensing agreement with SK Biopharmaceuticals, a global biotech company focused on the development of treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and oncology, for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Under the terms of the agreement, Hikma will have priority rights for the commercialisation and manufacture of SK Biopharmaceuticals’ current and future pipeline of innovative products for 17 countries in the MENA region. The term of the agreement is for 20 years from the commercialisation of the first product. In addition, Hikma will have the exclusive rights to manufacture and commercialise SK Biopharmaceuticals’ first pipeline product, cenobamate, an innovative anti-seizure medication for patients with epilepsy, in MENA markets.  

Commenting on this agreement, Mazen Darwazah, Hikma’s Executive Vice Chairman and President of MENA, said: “This agreement gives us access to a strong pipeline of innovative products in CNS and oncology, two strategic areas of focus for us with a high unmet need in the MENA region. SK Biopharmaceuticals also aims to expand from small molecule targeted therapy into biologics and we are excited to be their partner to ensure patients’ access to these innovative therapies in MENA.”

About Cenobamate

Cenobamate is an anti-seizure medication (ASM) discovered and developed by SK Biopharmaceuticals and SK Life Science. While the precise mechanism by which cenobamate exerts its therapeutic effect is unknown, it is believed to reduce repetitive neuronal firing by inhibiting voltage-gated sodium currents. It is also a positive allosteric modulator of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAA) ion channel.

About Hikma
(LSE: HIK) (NASDAQ Dubai: HIK) (OTC: HKMPY) (rated BBB-/stable S&P and BBB-/positive Fitch)

Hikma helps put better health within reach every day for millions of people around the world. For more than 45 years, we've been creating high-quality medicines and making them accessible to the people who need them. Headquartered in the UK, we are a global company with a local presence across North America, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Europe, and we use our unique insight and expertise to transform cutting-edge science into innovative solutions that transform people's lives.