Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Bioventure, a UAE-based pharmaceutical company and a subsidiary of Yas Holding’s Healthcare Division, GlobalOne Healthcare Holding (GHH), has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Cooper Pharma S.A. (Cooper) for Adalimumab. This agreement provides Cooper with exclusive rights to register, hold the marketing authorisation, and commercialise Adalimumab in Morocco.

Bioventure, which specialises in biosimilars and speciality generics, in/out-licensing, tech transfer, and investment in disruptive healthtech, medtech and biotechnology solutions, is currently the Middle East and Africa’s exclusive license holder for a biosimilar portfolio developed and manufactured by Alvotech, an Iceland-based pharmaceutical company. Alvotech’s Adalimumab has recently been granted European Medicines Agency (EMA) approval for concentration 100mg/mL. 

Murshed Al Redaini, Group Chief Executive Officer of Yas Holding, said: “By forging a strategic partnership in Morocco, we are investing in the future and growth of the region’s healthcare industry, while ensuring a stable supply of affordable biopharmaceuticals. This aligns with our vision to continuously improve access to quality healthcare and strengthen our ongoing investments.”

Bioventure is a subsidiary of GlobalOne Healthcare Holding which has recently expanded its strategic investment in Iceland-based biopharmaceutical company Alvotech. It is expected to introduce biologic technology and transform the region’s healthcare industry.

Ashraf Radwan, CEO of GlobalOne Healthcare Holding said: “We are excited to partner with Cooper Pharma to bring advanced medical products to Morocco which currently has limited access to affordable biosimilars. The next step is to explore the potential for local manufacturing, as part of our strategy to invest in the region’s global life sciences and disruptive health tech.”

Ayman Cheikh Lahlou, CEO of Cooper Pharma, said: “We are excited to start this partnership with Bioventure on Adalimumab. It is a great opportunity for us to expand our biosimilar portfolio. Part of our mission is to provide Moroccan patients with high-quality and accessible Adalimumab biosimilars. We are exploring future opportunities with Bioventure to improve the quality of life of Moroccan and African patients.”

Adalimumab is a monoclonal antibody that is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, uveitis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. It is available for administration in two forms: autoinjector and pre-filled syringe.

Adalimumab was approved for medical use in the United States in 2002 and is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.

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About Yas Holding

Yas Holding is a renowned UAE-headquartered investment company with a multi-industry business portfolio with 7,500 employees and more than 60 operating subsidiaries. The Group is in growth mode with expanding business interests in agriculture, food, healthcare, education, aviation, real estate, FMCG, technology, and services. Yas Holding’s diverse companies operate throughout the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

For more information, please visit: www.yasholding.ae.

About GlobalOne Healthcare

GlobalOne Healthcare Holding LLC (GHH) operates as the Healthcare Division of Yas Holding LLC. With investments in leading bio-pharmaceuticals and innovative manufacturing solutions, GHH is committed to improving healthcare outcomes and patient quality of life. GHH’s healthcare portfolio focuses on the provision of world-class healthcare services across a range of areas, including customised clinical and non-clinical hospital management and healthcare consultancy services. GHH’s subsidiaries specialise in biopharma, hospital management, medical supply chain, manufacturing, and occupational health. For more information, please visit: www.ghh.ae

About Bioventure

Bioventure FZ-LLC is a UAE-based biopharmaceutical company with a global network. It focuses on Biotech and a wide range of pharmaceutical activities, delivering world-class solutions across the UAE and Middle East. Bioventure specialises in Biotech and Generics Commercialisation, Tech Transfer, and In/Out-Licensing activities. It currently holds an equity stake in Alvotech and an agreement for exclusive distribution and commercialisation of Alvotech’s biosimilar portfolio across the Middle East and Africa. In addition, Bioventure enjoys exclusive partnership and distribution rights to Alvotech’s targeted Generic Pharmaceuticals portfolio, including 28 generic pharmaceuticals in the fields of Oncology, Autoimmune, Inflammation, and Blood Disease, across the MENA region.

About Cooper Pharma

Established in Casablanca in 1933, Cooper Pharma is a leading pharmaceutical company in Morocco. Its mission is to partner with healthcare professionals in providing quality healthcare products across the MEA.

with more than 100 pharmaceutical specialties under its branded generics portfolio across major therapeutic areas. In addition to its own brand of products, Cooper Pharma also manufactures, imports, markets, and promotes hundreds of drugs under license from more than 15 international companies, including Abbott, Merck, Pfizer, etc. It also exports pharmaceutical specialties and is a key player in the Middle East and Africa.

Today, Cooper Pharma is a key player in Africa and the Middle East with nine manufacturing plants across Morocco, Africa (Rwanda and Ivory Coast), the Middle East (UAE and Saudi Arabia), and Europe (Czech Republic and Spain). In 2001, it launched Cooper Biosciences in Dubai, focusing on diagnostics and vaccines.

For more information, please visit: https://cooperpharma.ma/en/