Hyphens Pharma licenses shingles drug from Maruho for ASEAN

Singaporean speciality pharma company Hyphens Pharma International has entered into an exclusive license, development and commercialization agreement with Japanese drugmaker Maruho.

The deal will provide Hyphens with exclusive rights to register and commercialize Amenalief (amenamevir) Tab 200mg tablets in the 10 ASEAN countries for the treatment of herpes zoster, also known as shingles, and recurrent herpes simplex.

Shingles is a viral infection caused by a reactivation of the dormant chickenpox varicella-zoster or VZV virus. 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 the VZV virus and older persons are at higher risk of developing shingles. The main treatment for shingles is anti-viral medications like Amenalief.