International healthcare organizations, Novartis and Mundipharma, have signed a landmark agreement for the marketing, sales and distribution rights of Novartis medicines in the general ophthalmology disease area in Taiwan, China of Novartis. This includes medicines for glaucoma and external eye diseases. This follows recent agreements for the Philippines and Thailand.

A recent study found that there is a greater glaucoma burden in South-Central Asia and East Asia, and that strategies to combat glaucoma are needed.

Mundipharma CEO, Raman Singh, said: "Mundipharma is constantly exploring opportunities to increase access to important medicines for the people who need them the most. This agreement with Novartis is an expansion of an already successful partnership between our two organizations and is another example of how we work with partners to leverage our unique distribution network to address unmet patient needs."

"Novartis aims to develop life-changing pharmaceuticals and transformative technologies for diseases and conditions from front to back of the eye. Our partnership with Mundipharma will help Novartis bring the benefits of our ophthalmology medicines to more people in Asia and focus our energies on the existing and future portfolio in retinal disorders," said Alexis Serlin, Head of Asia Cluster, Novartis AG.

Novartis will retain all international development responsibility, as well as clinical development activities. The company will also continue to manufacture and supply the medicines in its ophthalmology portfolio for commercial use.