Aspen Healthcare, a subsidiary of South African-based global pharmaceutical Aspen Pharmacare, is the latest global manufacturer to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saudi Chemical Company Holding (SCCH), a well-known company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and its subsidiary AJA Pharma, a recognised manufacturer of pharmaceutical products. 

The agreement will see Aspen, SCCH and AJA Pharma further expand their existing partnership to strategically collaborate on an extended portfolio of products, the manufacturing of products in Saudi Arabia, and the export of products to existing Aspen markets.  

Daniel Vella Friggieri, Aspen’s regional chief executive for the Middle East, north Africa and Turkey, says the agreement endorses Aspen’s continuous commitment to align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. The Vision 2030 goals include achieving 88% inclusive health coverage, even in rural areas and getting the entire population on to the country’s unified medical records system by 2025. 

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In January, Saudi Arabia’s ministry of investment signed two separate MOUs with Boehringer Ingelheim and Novo Nordisk. Arab News reports that the first MOU will facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology to facilitate the manufacture of Tradjenta, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. The Novo Nordisk MOU will explore solutions to raise awareness of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity.

Saudi Arabia has shown an alarming increase in these two disorders over the last 50 years, and 50% of the population is overweight, while 20% are classified as obese. The crude prevalence of overweight/obesity among those aged five to 19 is one of the highest in the world at 36%, twice the global average in 2016. Last week, Aspen’s chief executive officer, Stephen Saad, confirmed that the company had signed four multinational clients that would be receiving drugs to treat diabetes and cancer. 

Thamer Al-Muhid, the chief executive officer of the Saudi Chemical Group, says that in today’s world, technology and globalisation play a more important role than ever. 

“Having a strategic partnership between Aspen and AJA Pharma will ensure that both the aspects of technologies and global market access are fulfilled towards achieving the KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] 2030 vision. We are pleased to partner with a trusted partner like Aspen and look forward to a prosperous strategic partnership,” he says. DM/BM