Singapore-based Menarini Asia-Pacific Holdings, a part of the leading Italian global biopharmaceutical company Menarini Group, has signed a multi-year exclusive licensing agreement to assume the registration, sales, marketing, and distribution of the orally administered gabapentinoid, mirogabalin (brand name; TARLIGE®), in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore.

TARLIGE® was developed and is currently marketed in Japan by Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited and is indicated for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP), including diabetic PNP and post-herpetic neuralgia. The drug binds to and modulates the alpha 2 delta-1 subunit of the voltage-gated calcium channels widely found in the nervous system in areas that mediate pain transmission and processing.

Neuropathic pain, which refers to pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system, has been shown to be prevalent in the general population by as much as 7 to 8 percent. Patients with neuropathic pain are more susceptible to high pain intensity with more comorbidities, such as depression panic/anxiety disorder, and sleep disorders.

"The Menarini Group already has an on-going global partnership with Daiichi Sankyo and the partnership on TARLIGE® is another important milestone for us. This is a strategic move to complement our established portfolio of pain products that cover acute to chronic and cancer pain. Menarini Asia-Pacific is committed to helping alleviate pain and delivering treatment solutions to address the unmet needs of patients in this region," said Maurizio Luongo, CEO of Menarini Asia-Pacific.