Grünenthal, a global leader in pain management and research, and DKSH Business Unit Healthcare, a strategic healthcare business partner and leading provider of Market Expansion Services for pharmaceutical, over-the-counter (OTC), consumer health and medical device companies, announced a new partnership agreement to bring four Grünenthal medicines, Qutenza^®, Vimovo^®, Palexia^® and Zomig^®, to Asia-Pacific, accelerating access to innovative pain therapies in the region.

The partnership will support the availability of Grünenthal's pain medicines across eight markets in Asia-Pacific: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, bringing up to four new medicines to patients in each market, pending local regulatory approvals. Under the agreement, DKSH will commercialise the medicines on Grünenthal's behalf across the eight markets, being responsible for seeking local marketing authorisations and the activities of marketing, medical, market access, sales and distribution. Grünenthal will manufacture the medicines through its integrated global manufacturing network.

"Qutenza^®, Vimovo^®, Palexia^® and Zomig^® have delivered meaningful benefits to millions of people living with pain worldwide. Through our partnership with DKSH, we are taking another significant step toward broadening access to proven therapies and extending the reach of our medicines to more patients who need them," said Jan Adams, Chief Commercial Officer, Grünenthal. "With pain affecting potentially hundreds of millions across Asia-Pacific, new care options that meet the broad spectrum of patient needs are critical. We are proud to join forces with DKSH to help improve lives and advance our vision of a World Free of Pain."

"This partnership marks another important milestone in DKSH Healthcare's new chapter of growth. Grünenthal is a globally recognised leader in pain management, and we are proud to further strengthen our relationship through an expanded alliance partnership spanning eight markets across Asia-Pacific. Leveraging our Regional Partnership model and integrated end-to-end commercialisation platform, we are well positioned to accelerate growth, improve access to innovative therapies for patients across the region, and advance our mission of delivering Healthcare for All," said Patrik Grande, Global Head of Business Unit Healthcare, DKSH.

Pain is a significant healthcare challenge in Asia-Pacific, due to the ageing population and the high burden of chronic diseases.^1,2,3 Hundreds of millions of people in the region may be living with chronic pain, based on population figures and global estimates of chronic pain prevalence.^2,3

Grünenthal and DKSH first established their partnership in 2023, when DKSH took over the commercialisation of the already established medicines Nebido^®, Zomig^® and Tramal^® in selected Asia-Pacific markets. Under the new agreement, DKSH will now seek local marketing authorisations for Qutenza^®, Vimovo^®, Palexia^® and Zomig^® across the eight participating markets, with Zomig^® being introduced in additional markets not covered by the 2023 agreement.