Hikma’s Executive Vice Chairman and President of MENA Joins Rakuten Medical’s Board of Directors
London, 7 March 2024 – Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma), the multinational pharmaceutical company, today announces that its Executive Vice Chairman and President of MENA, Mazen Darwazah, has been appointed as a Board Director to Rakuten Medical, Inc. a global biotechnology company developing and commercialising precision, cell targeting therapies based on its proprietary Alluminox™ platform.
In August of last year, Hikma announced signing an exclusive licensing agreement with Rakuten Medical, to commercialise products in Rakuten Medical’s pipeline using its photoimmunotherapy Alluminox™ technology platform, in all Hikma’s MENA markets. The agreement strengthened Hikma’s growing portfolio in oncology and biotechnology bringing a potentially innovative technology to cancer patients in the region.
Mickey Mikitani, Co-CEO of Rakuten Medical, said, “I am delighted to welcome Mazen, a highly experienced global leader, to our board. With his strong operational expertise and track record in driving strategic business decisions that have grown healthcare businesses in the MENA region and globally, I'm sure that Mazen will provide valuable guidance to Rakuten Medical, as the company seeks to grow into a new stage of discovering its full potential as a global biotechnology company.”
Commenting on joining Rakuten Medical’s Board of Directors, Mazen Darwazah Hikma’s Executive Vice Chairman and President of MENA, said: “I’m honoured to join Rakuten Medical’s Board of Directors. We’re at an important crossroad at Hikma and well-positioned to shape the next chapter of our growth in line with our strategy of moving to provide broader healthcare solutions in MENA. My board appointment will drive synergies and facilitate a closer working relationship with an important partner that shares Hikma’s vision of shaping a healthier world.”