Hikma Pharmaceuticals has reached an agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to expand their licensing and distribution agreement to add new products to its existing portfolio in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Under the deal, Hikma will have the right to register, manufacture, commercialise, distribute and sell four of Takeda's leading primary care products in 17 markets across the MENA region.

Hikma Pharmaceuticals MENA and Emerging Markets vice-chairman and CEO Mazen Darwazah said: "Our large sales and marketing teams, with particular expertise in promoting cardiovascular and diabetes treatments, are well positioned to drive patient access for Takeda’s products.

"We are pleased to be building on our partnership with Takeda to bring important medicines to the MENA region. By working with global partners we are strengthening our product portfolio in growing therapeutic areas and reinforcing our commitment to improving patient access to quality medicines."

Effective immediately for all markets, the new agreement will enable Hikma to have exclusive rights to manufacture and commercialise three of Takeda's primary care product families in the MENA markets.

The three-care product families include Alogliptin, including Alogliptin / Metformin, Alogliptin / Pioglitazone (anti-diabetic), Azilsartan, including Azilsartan / Chlorothalidone (anti-hypertensive) and Lornoxicam in its rapid form (anti-inflammatory / pain).

However, the deal does not include the Egyptian market for Alogloptin.

In addition, Hikma has the exclusive rights to produce and commercialise Takeda's Dexlansoprozole in its MENA markets, excluding Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt.

The company’s existing licence agreement with Takeda for Lornoxicam tablets (anti-inflammatory / pain) has been extended beyond Saudi Arabia and Jordan to cover its other MENA markets.