Adesh Kaul, Basilea Chief Corporate Development Officer, said, “We are very pleased with the launch of Ceftobiprole in Saudi Arabia. This is the first launch by our partner Hikma, a leading pharmaceutical company in the Middle East and North Africa region. Infections with bacteria resistant to established antibiotics remain a major health care concern across this region. Following the market entry in Saudi Arabia we are therefore looking forward to Hikma expanding the availability of Ceftobiprole to further countries in the Middle East and North Africa.”

Mazen Darwazah, Hikma Executive Vice Chairman, President and CEO of MENA and Emerging Markets, said, “We are glad to be building on our partnership with Basilea to bring important medicines to the Saudi Market in particular and the MENA region in general.  By working with global partners like Basilea we are reinforcing our commitment to providing better health to more people every day.”

Ceftobiprole is approved in Saudi Arabia for the treatment of adult patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), excluding ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Basilea entered into a Distribution and License Agreement for Ceftobiprole with Hikma in 2015 and for the antifungal Isavuconazole in 2016.