JORDAN – Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC has struck a new exclusive agreement with Guardant Health, Inc. to sell oncology drugs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Hikma is a renowned MENA-based healthcare company with a robust oncology portfolio encompassing generics, biologics, immunotherapy, and cutting-edge innovations.

In a press release, Mazen Darwazah, Hikma’s Executive Vice Chairman and President of MENA, said: “Our partnership with Guardant Health adds next-generation sequencing diagnostics that can potentially transform cancer care in MENA by bringing hope to patients facing this challenging journey.”

Mazen Darwazah expressed his excitement about partnering with the Guardant Health team while noting that their offering can help patients at all stages of the disease, ranging from monitoring cancer recurrence to guiding treatment decisions.

In related news, Hikma has signed a new strategic partnership and exclusive licensing agreement with SK Biopharmaceuticals to sell central nervous system and oncology drugs in the MENA region.

This exclusive agreement is focused on the commercialisation and manufacture of SK Biopharmaceuticals’ current and future pipeline of innovative products in the MENA region.

SK Biopharmaceuticals is part of a global biotech company focused on the development of treatments for central nervous system disorders and oncology.

Under the newly signed agreement, Hikma is gearing up to commercialize Guardant Health’s portfolio of liquid and tissue biopsy tests for cancer screening, recurrence monitoring and tumor mutation profiling across all solid cancers.

This strategic alliance is a clear reflection of Hikma’s commitment to advancing precision medicine for improved treatment outcomes in patients with cancer.

Moreover, Hikma and Guardant Health will focus on bringing transformative cancer diagnostic technology to the Middle East and North Africa, where cancer cases are estimated to double by the year 2040.

The biopsy tests offered include Shield for cancer screening and early detection, and Guardant Reveal for minimal residual disease detection and recurrence monitoring.

Guardant360 and Guardant360 TissueNext for comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) across all solid cancers are also part of the biopsy tests owned by Guardant Health, a leading precision oncology company.

Laying an emphasis on the need for evidence-based interventions, Simranjit Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) at Guardant Health, stated: “Today, an increasing number of patients with cancer are being detected at the advanced stage, making it more crucial to match these patients to appropriate therapies in a timely manner.”

Simranjit Singh underlined that the main goal of Guardant Health is to make cancer screening easy and effective so that we can detect cancer earlier when it’s most treatable.

Through the new agreement, Hikma has the exclusive rights for commercialization and marketing of Guardant Health’s portfolio in concerted efforts to expand access to high-quality, next-generation sequencing (NGS) solutions.

This agreement will enable patients in the MENA region to have access to NGS solutions, which can help identify and monitor cancer cases earlier and enable patients to get the best care possible.

It builds on Guardant Health’s dedication to improving patient outcomes globally by offering next-generation sequencing tests across all stages of the disease.

For his part, Simranjit Singh stated: “Guardant Health is excited to partner with Hikma and leverage their strong commercial capabilities and regional expertise to equip oncologists in the MENA region.”

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