JERUSALEM and PRAGUE, Czech Republic, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Rafa Laboratories LTD. («Rafa») and ExCEEd Orphan s.r.o («ExCEEd») announced today a strategic collaboration for medicines addressing rare diseases in Central and Eastern Europe («CEE») and Israel. Under the agreement, and as part of its strategy to become an international player, Rafa will invest in ExCEEd an undisclosed amount that shall enable it to strengthen its market access capabilities in the region and move closer to fulfilling its vision to become a leading player in this important mission of pioneering access to patients with rare diseases. Furthermore, the parties shall collaborate on bringing new medicines for rare diseases to both the CEE and Israel.
The worldwide orphan drug market is growing over twice as fast as the non-orphan market, with expected 2021-2026 CAGR of 12%. By 2026, global orphan drug sales are expected to reach $273b and account for 20% of all prescription drug sales1. With a CEE population of approximately 120 million2, a pharmaceutical market value of $24.7b in 20203 and growing economies, the demand in CEE for solutions to rare diseases is increasing, while the number of medicines currently available in this region is considerably lower than in the rest of Europe.
A strong vote of confidence in ExCEEd is demonstrated by agreements signed within the last 15 months with leading innovative pharma companies, among them Amryt, Mirum and SERB. These collaborative agreements have laid a sturdy foundation for future alliances in this arena.
Jiri Hermanek, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of ExCEEd Orphan commented: «The agreement with Rafa heralds a new chapter in ExCEEd’s journey to facilitate access to medicines developed for rare diseases, giving hope to vulnerable patients in-need in CEE countries. As a full-fledged pharmaceutical company, Rafa’s profound understanding, network and experience, make its investment of strategic significance for us.»
Amir Levin, Chief Executive Officer of Rafa said: «We are excited about the partnership with ExCEEd, which shall allow us to hurdle some of the challenges entailed with expanding into this important niche of rare diseases in new territories. This collaboration is well aligned with Rafa’s vision to become an international player and it further highlights our determination and ceaseless pursuit for meaningful strides towards that goal.»
About ExCEEd
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Prague, Czech, ExCEEd is focused on innovative treatments for rare diseases and has extensive experience in launching innovative medicines in this field. The portfolio of ExCEEd Orphan includes products in therapeutic areas of hematology, neurology, immunology, and metabolic diseases. In the past two years, ExCEEd Orphan has signed exclusive distribution agreements for orphan drugs in the CEE region with leading global companies such as Advicenne Amryt, Diurnal, Mirum, Neobiomics, Pharming, Proveca, and SERB.
ExCEEd contact:
Jiri Hermanek
CEO
Jiri.hermanek@exceedorphan.com
About Rafa
Founded in 1937 and headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel, Rafa is among the leading pharmaceutical companies in Israel and a global player in emergency solutions – medical countermeasures, supplying auto-injectors for government agencies, military forces and civilian populations. Rafa’s competencies span over the entire value chain from R&D and manufacturing by international standards (e.g. FDA, EMA) all the way through sales and marketing. With a proven track record of successful commercialization of niche and orphan products, Rafa has been privileged to nurture long-lasting alliances with leading innovative companies such as United Therapeutics, Helsinn, Zambon, Galderma, Dr. Falk and Mundipharma, in a variety of therapeutic areas including oncology, hematology, respiratory, gastroenterology, and dermatology. Rafa’s controlling shareholder, FIMI Opportunity Funds, is the leading private equity fund in Israel with a track record of success spanning over 25 years and assets under management of $7b. Since its inception, FIMI’s performance has been exceptional by both local and global standards after having completed close to 100 investments. https://www.rafa.co.il/en
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Rafa contact:
Galia Reicher
Business Development Manager
galiai@rafa.co.il