Hikma to market Eisai’s epilepsy treatment Fycompa in Middle East

UK-based Hikma Pharmaceuticals has partnered with Eisai to distribute first-class epilepsy treatment Fycompa (perampanel) in the Middle East.

Eisai has developed Fycompa to treat partial onset seizures, with or without secondarily generalised seizures, in patients with epilepsy aged 12 years and older.

Perampanel is the anti-epileptic drug (AED), which selectively targets AMPA receptors, a protein in the brain that plays an important role in the spread of viruses.

Hikma Pharmaceuticals executive vice-chairman Mazen Darwazah said: “We are committed to our partnership with Eisai, which supports our strategy of working with global partners to strengthen our product portfolio in growing therapeutic areas and to bring important treatment options to patients in the Middle East region.”

The deal is said to commence immediately, with perampanel launches throughout the region expected to follow in 2015.

As part of the five year partnership, Hikma will distribute Fycompa in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Sudan, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.

Eisai EMEA president and CEO Gary Hendler said: “We are very pleased to announce the partnership with Hikma, who will leverage their strong presence in the Middle East to ensure that people throughout the region will soon be able to access our innovative epilepsy treatment Fycompa.”

European Commission granted approval for perampanel in July 2012, while the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in October of the same year.

Perampanel, which is manufactured in the UK, has been discovered and developed by Eisai in Europe and Japan.