“We Care About Mental Health” awareness set to increase across APAC
- Luye Pharma has granted ICI Pakistan Limited exclusive distribution and marketing rights for Seroquel® in Pakistan.
- As part of the “We Care About Mental Health” initiative, the two companies have pledged to make joint efforts to raise awareness regarding mental health issues.
SHANGHAI, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Luye Pharma Group, an international pharmaceutical company dedicated to the R&D, manufacturing and sale of innovative medications has entered a distribution and marketing partnership with ICI Pakistan Limited, a leading manufacturing and trading company based in Pakistan. According to the terms of the agreement, Luye Pharma grants ICI Pakistan Limited exclusive distribution and marketing rights for Seroquel® (quetiapine fumarate immediate-release tablets) in Pakistan. Seroquel® is used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and recommended by several authorized guidelines around the world.
The agreement was signed at an online ceremony, with both parties officially marking the start of the partnership and further pledging to make joint efforts to raise awareness of mental health issues as part of the “We Care About Mental Health” APAC initiative. The regional initiative aims to raise awareness of mental health issues, supporting patients, physicians and health systems in meeting patient needs.
Mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety have become major public health problems affecting global public health, especially in South Asia where high prevalence of common mental disorders have been reported. Data shows that between 150 and 200 million people in this region have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder. Among them, approximately 0.6% of the population in South Asia, including Pakistan, suffers from bipolar disorder[i], while the prevalence of schizophrenia in Pakistan is around 1.5%[ii]. Despite the significant burden of illness, the lack of community awareness around mental health and the prevailing stigma further limit the number of patients that actively seek healthcare.
In order to raise public awareness of mental health issues, Luye Pharma and partners jointly launched the “We Care About Mental Health” initiative in the Asia Pacific region in June 2020. As of today, a total of 58 educational activities have been held across 15 countries and regions. The annual Asia Pacific Psychiatry Symposium organized by Luye Pharma for Healthcare Professionals successfully took place in June this year. More than 600 physicians from 9 different Asia Pacific countries and regions participated, speaking about schizophrenia and bipolar disorder disease management. As an iteration of the initiative in Pakistan, Luye Pharma and ICI Pakistan Limited will organize a series of online and offline lectures to raise awareness of mental health issues, hosted by psychiatrists.
“Mental health is a serious global public health challenge that requires a sustained and united response from us all. The ‘We Care About Mental Health’ regional initiative aims to raise awareness, provide insights on the available treatment options and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems,” said Andy Siow, APAC Regional Director of Luye Pharma (International). “The partnership with ICI Pakistan Limited represents our first major step towards serving more patients in South Asia. As we deepen our market coverage across the region, we look forward to providing more high-quality, evidence-based innovative drugs to the market, working with local partners to raise mental health awareness, and bringing better care to patients in need.”
“The partnership with Luye Pharma is in line with ICI Pakistan Limited’s mission of Improving Lives. There is a dire need to increase awareness and address mental health issues in Pakistan, and we are pleased to be working with a global partner like Luye Pharma to bring high-quality innovative medicines to the local market in Pakistan.” said Ali Masood, General Manager of ICI Pakistan Limited’s Pharmaceuticals business. “We are delighted to begin this partnership as part of the ‘We Care About Mental Health’ initiative, and to work together with Luye Pharma in improving access to medication and contributing to better mental health care in Pakistan.”
About Luye Pharma Group
Luye Pharma Group is an international pharmaceutical company dedicated to the R&D, manufacturing and sale of innovative medications. The company has established R&D centers in China, the U.S. and Europe, with a robust pipeline of over 30 drug candidates in China and more than 10 drug candidates in other international markets. Along with a number of new drugs and new formulations in the central nervous system and oncology therapeutic areas under study in the U.S., Europe and Japan, Luye Pharma maintains high-level international standards in novel drug delivery technologies including microspheres, liposomes, and transdermal drug delivery systems. The company has achieved multiple innovations in new chemical entities and antibodies, and is also actively making strategic developments in the fields of cell therapies and gene therapies.
Luye Pharma is developing a global supply chain of 8 manufacturing sites with over 30 production lines in total, establishing GMP quality management and international standard control systems. With more than 30 products covering the central nervous system, oncology, cardiovascular, metabolism and other therapeutic areas, business is conducted in over 80 countries and regions around the world, including the largest pharmaceutical markets – China, the U.S., Europe and Japan, as well as in fast growing emerging markets. For more information, please visit: www.luye.cn/lvye_en
About ICI Pakistan Limited
ICI Pakistan Limited is a leading Pakistan-based manufacturing and trading company consisting of five diverse businesses: Polyester, Soda Ash, Chemicals & Agri Sciences, Pharmaceuticals and Animal Health. Through these businesses, the Company manufactures and trades in a wide range of products including: polyester staple fibre (PSF), soda ash, general and specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, animal health products and agricultural products (including chemicals, field crop seeds, vegetable seeds and more). In the nutrition segment, NutriCo Morinaga (Private) Limited, a subsidiary of the Company imports, locally manufactures, markets, and distributes select Morinaga Milk Industry Co. Ltd, Japan products in Pakistan.
ICI Pakistan Limited is part of the Yunus Brothers Group (YBG), one of the fastest-growing and most progressive Pakistani conglomerates with a wide portfolio of businesses including, but not limited to: cement, textiles, power generation and commodity trading. For more information, please visit: www.ici.com.pk
[i] Sadiq Naveed, etc. Prevalence of Common Mental Disorders in South Asia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis. Front Psychiatry. 2020; 11: 573150. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
[i]i Rukhsana Nawaz, etc. Overview of schizophrenia research and treatment in Pakistan. Heliyon. 2020 Nov; 6(11): e05545. https://www.ncbi.nlm.
