Hanmi Pharmaceutical's Rolontis Enters Middle East Market with Supply Agreement Signed with Saudi Arabia's Tabuk

by Choi Taewon

Published 08 Sep.2025 11:35(KST)

Continued Collaboration for Entry of Specialty Pharmaceuticals into the Middle Eastern Market

Hanmi Pharmaceutical has established a foothold for the entry of its neutropenia treatment biologic, Rolontis, into the Middle Eastern market.

Park Jaehyun, CEO of Hanmi Pharmaceutical (right), and Ismail Shehada Tabuk, CEO, are taking a commemorative photo at 'CPHI Middle East 2024' held last year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hanmi Pharmaceutical

On September 8, Hanmi Pharmaceutical announced that it had signed a supply agreement for Rolontis with Tabuk, a leading pharmaceutical company in Saudi Arabia. This agreement expands upon the partnership contract signed with Tabuk in October of last year.

Tabuk, leveraging its extensive market experience and expertise in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, is expected to play a crucial role in ensuring the stable entry of Rolontis into the Middle Eastern and African markets. Through this collaboration, both companies aim to improve patient access to innovative adjuvant therapies and address the unmet needs in local cancer treatment settings.

The MENA region is a vast market encompassing a population of approximately 600 million. Among these countries, Saudi Arabia, with its high income levels, is experiencing a rapid expansion in the pharmaceutical market, demonstrating significant growth potential. As a leading pharmaceutical company in the MENA region, Tabuk possesses strong sales capabilities across 17 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

Rolontis, developed in-house by Hanmi Pharmaceutical, is the first anticancer biologic from a Korean pharmaceutical company to receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Since its launch in the U.S. market in 2022 under the local brand name “Rolbedon,” it has recorded quarterly sales of around 20 billion won, proving its global competitiveness. Notably, as of 2024, cumulative sales in the U.S. market have reached 200 billion won, and in Korea, cumulative sales for the second quarter of this year grew by 26% compared to the same period last year.

In addition to the Rolontis supply agreement, the two companies plan to continue collaborating to introduce various specialty pharmaceuticals from Hanmi Pharmaceutical, such as Gugutams, a combination drug for benign prostatic hyperplasia and erectile dysfunction, into the Middle Eastern market.

Ismail Shehada, CEO of Tabuk, stated, “Our partnership with Hanmi demonstrates our shared commitment to achieving meaningful innovation in the Middle Eastern market, including Saudi Arabia, and to advancing the healthcare industry to the next level.” He added, “We are proud to introduce the innovative biologic Rolontis by combining Hanmi’s proven scientific competitiveness with Tabuk’s regional network and patient-centered vision.” He further emphasized, “Rolontis will not only set a new standard for patient care but also improve access to innovative therapies for a healthier life, significantly contributing to better patient outcomes.”

Meanwhile, Park Jaehyun, CEO of Hanmi Pharmaceutical, has maintained a close partnership with key stakeholders including Tabuk, personally attending the international pharmaceutical and biotech exhibition (CPHI Middle East 2024) held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last year to help finalize this agreement.

CEO Park commented, “We have established an important foundation to discover new growth engines for Hanmi in the MENA region, which is emerging as a new pharmaceutical market. I expect that our collaboration with Tabuk will serve as the starting point for realizing Hanmi’s global vision and firmly establishing our brand in the Middle East.”