Grünenthal and DKSH are expanding their commercial partnership in Asia-Pacific through a new agreement covering four pain medicines, as pharmaceutical companies increasingly look to established regional networks to improve access to specialist therapies. The agreement will bring Qutenza®, Vimovo®, Palexia® and Zomig® to eight markets across the region, subject to local regulatory approvals.
The partnership covers Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. DKSH will manage the commercialisation of the medicines on behalf of Grünenthal, including regulatory submissions, marketing, medical activities, market access, sales and distribution. Grünenthal will remain responsible for manufacturing the products through its global manufacturing network.
The broader commercial model reflects how pharmaceutical companies are increasingly using regional partners to move medicines through complex healthcare markets, a strategy also seen across areas ranging from pain treatment to drug discovery. For Grünenthal, the agreement expands the geographical reach of its portfolio, while DKSH gains responsibility for a wider group of products across eight Asia-Pacific markets.
DKSH Takes Wider Commercial Role Across Eight Markets
Under the new agreement, DKSH will seek local marketing authorisations for Qutenza®, Vimovo®, Palexia® and Zomig® in the participating markets. Once approvals are secured, the company will oversee the activities required to commercialise the medicines, creating a single regional framework covering regulatory, market access, medical and sales functions.
The arrangement gives DKSH a significant role in determining how the medicines enter individual markets. Regulatory requirements, reimbursement structures, healthcare systems and prescribing practices vary across Asia-Pacific, making local commercial expertise an important part of pharmaceutical expansion strategies.
For Grünenthal, the partnership provides a way to extend the presence of four established medicines without taking responsibility for all commercial activities independently in each market. The company will continue to manufacture the medicines while DKSH manages the market-facing operations under the agreement.
The portfolio also covers different areas of pain and related neurological care. Qutenza® is part of Grünenthal’s pain management portfolio, while Palexia® is an established analgesic brand. Vimovo® combines pain relief with gastroprotective treatment, and Zomig® is used in migraine treatment.
The companies said the medicines have already provided benefits to millions of people living with pain globally. Jan Adams, chief commercial officer at Grünenthal, said the expanded relationship with DKSH is intended to broaden access to established therapies and reach more patients across the region.
The commercial agreement comes against a backdrop of increasing healthcare demand in Asia-Pacific. Ageing populations and the growing burden of chronic diseases are contributing to the need for long-term pain management options. The companies estimate that 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.
That underlying demand creates an opportunity for pharmaceutical companies with established pain portfolios, particularly when supported by distribution and market access infrastructure capable of operating across multiple healthcare systems.
Partnership Builds on 2023 Asia-Pacific Expansion
The latest agreement extends a relationship that began in 2023, when DKSH assumed commercialisation responsibilities for Grünenthal’s Nebido®, Zomig® and Tramal® in selected Asia-Pacific markets.
The new agreement broadens that relationship considerably. DKSH will now seek marketing authorisations for four medicines across eight markets, while Zomig® will also be introduced into additional markets that were not included in the companies’ original 2023 arrangement.
Patrik Grande, global head of Business Unit Healthcare at DKSH, described the expanded alliance as an important step in the company’s growth strategy. He said the company’s regional partnership model and commercialisation platform would support the expansion of Grünenthal’s therapies and improve access for patients.
For DKSH, the agreement fits into its broader role as a healthcare services partner for pharmaceutical, OTC, consumer health and medical device companies. Its responsibilities under the new arrangement span several stages of the commercial process, giving Grünenthal a single partner across the participating markets.
The eight-market scope is also notable because Asia-Pacific does not operate as a single pharmaceutical market. Each country has its own regulatory framework and healthcare purchasing structure. Securing local approvals and establishing appropriate routes to market will therefore determine when and how individual medicines become available to patients.
Grünenthal’s manufacturing network will remain at the centre of the supply side, while DKSH will manage the market expansion activities. This division allows the two companies to focus on different parts of the medicines’ regional rollout while maintaining a coordinated commercial strategy.
The agreement also illustrates the growing importance of partnerships in expanding access to established pharmaceutical products. Rather than limiting growth to markets where a company already has a direct commercial presence, regional alliances can allow products to enter additional countries through local regulatory, sales and distribution capabilities.
For patients, the immediate impact will depend on regulatory decisions in each market and the subsequent launch timelines. However, the agreement establishes a framework under which up to four Grünenthal medicines can be introduced across each participating market.
As regulatory processes move forward, the partnership will determine the pace at which Grünenthal’s pain portfolio reaches additional patients in Asia-Pacific. For both companies, the expansion adds a larger regional footprint to a relationship that began three years ago and places pain management at the centre of their next phase of commercial cooperation.
