DKSH Business Unit Healthcare, a market expansion services company in Asia, will provide regulatory, distribution and logistics services for Actelion in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Actelion, a biopharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland has a portfolio of PAH treatments, as well as treatments for diseases including Type 1 Gaucher disease, Niemann-Pick type C disease, digital ulcers in patients suffering from systemic sclerosis, and mycosis fungoides type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

The agreement initially covers Tracleer, a prescription drug certain types of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Pending registration in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, the collaboration may be extended to also include Opsumit (macitentan), an orally available endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA). Opsumit has been available in the U.S. since November 2013 and is undergoing regulatory review in various other markets.

“In DKSH we found a reliable partner to grow our business in the fast growing Asian market. We are convinced of DKSH’s commitment to the highest international quality and compliance standards across all operations. The convenience of having one regional point-of-contact with strong local regulatory expertise should simplify collaboration across multiple markets,” said Simon Eade, vice president Asia Pacific Region, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Australia Pty Ltd.

“DKSH is well-positioned to support Actelion’s commercialization efforts in Asia by providing strong supply chain support and by guiding the company through the complex regulatory landscape. Working with DKSH allows Actelion to focus on its core competencies while setting up for future success in Asia,” said Andrew Frye, head of business healthcare, DKSH.