Dubai-based NewBridge Pharmaceuticals has signed an exclusive licensing and distribution agreement with Orexo AB to market Abstral, a key product for treatment of breakthrough cancer pain, in the Middle East and Africa region.

A specialty pharmaceutical, biologics, diagnostics and medical device company serving the region, NewBridge said the agreement covers 64 countries across the Middle East and Africa, and excludes Israel where the product is already partnered.

Under the terms of the agreement, Orexo will supply NewBridge with Abstral product, the company said in a statement.

The agreement includes milestone and revenue sharing payments. NewBridge will also be responsible for managing the regulatory approval process and commercialisation in each of the relevant countries, it added.

Abstral is a rapidly-disintegrating tablet for sublingual (under the tongue) administration of fentanyl intended for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients who are already receiving opioid analgesics for their underlying persistent cancer pain.

'Abstral is a valuable addition to enhance our growing oncology portfolio. Across our core geographic region there are many markets with strong economic growth and increased demand for improved health care and more effective products,' said Torbjorn Bjerke, president and CEO of Orexo.

'We strongly believe that Abstral has a great potential in the territory and will contribute significantly to physicians' abilities to treat patients experiencing breakthrough cancer pain, hence improving quality of life for these patients,' he added.

According to him, the agreement with NewBridge will enable sales of Abstral in additional geographic territories and is another step in developing the drug into a global brand.

'Our partnership with NewBridge will allow Abstral to be available for thousand of doctors to help them manage patients suffering breakthrough cancer pain,' Bjerke added

Headquartered in Dubai, with Business Development Capabilities in the US, NewBridge was founded by Burrill & Company, a San Francisco-based life science venture capital, private equity, merchant banking and media firm.-TradeArabia News Service