Singapore: Helsinn, a Swiss pharmaceutical firm focused on cancer care, has partnered with Singapore based pain drug company, Mundipharma, for distribution and license agreement for anamorelin in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

Anamorelin is a novel, once-daily, orally active ghrelin receptor agonist under investigation for the treatment of Cancer Anorexia-Cachexia in patients suffering from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), an area of significant unmet medical need. Cancer Anorexia-Cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome defined by an ongoing loss of skeletal muscle mass, the inability to be fully reversed by conventional nutritional support and a progressive functional impairment.

Mr Riccardo Braglia, CEO, Helsinn Group, said, "This partnership is another step in what we foresee as a long and successful collaboration with Mundipharma. We believe that anamorelin could be established as an important advancement in the management of cancer anorexia-cachexia. Anamorelin offers the potential for a new approach of treating this multifactorial clinical condition which can be devastating for patients and caregivers. Anamorelin has been shown in two large-scale clinical studies to improve lean body mass, potentially enabling patients to tolerate more treatments, and to alleviate their symptoms and concerns, ultimately helping them get more out of every day."

Mr Raman Singh, president, Mundipharma Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, said, "Improving the quality of patients' lives has always been one of our core commitments, and the eventual launch of anamorelin in China seeks to provide healthcare professionals and patients with the effective support they need as patients undergo treatment. Our continued partnership with the Helsinn Group helps us further this goal, with their excellence in innovation and cancer supportive care."