Hanmi Pharma said it has signed a strategic agreement with its U.S. partner company, Assertio Holdings, which previously acquired Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, to re-acquire the rights to Rolontis, a long-acting neutropenia treatment and Korea's 33rd novel drug, for the Asian and African markets.

Rolontis is a biological drug with a long-acting Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) that utilizes Hanmi's Lapscovery, a proprietary platform technology. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Sept. 2022 and has since been launched in the U.S.

Hanmi Pharma had previously signed a licensing agreement with Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, giving global rights concerning Rolontis to its U.S. partners, except for Korea, China, and Japan.

The partnership between Hanmi Pharmaceutical and Assertio is strengthened by Hanmi's 2.36 percent stake in Assertio.

Under the slight adjustment in the territorial rights, Hanmi plans to further explore and capitalize on the potential opportunities in the untapped markets of Asia and Africa, while Assertio plans to concentrate its efforts on enhancing the value of Rolontis in the U.S. market, where it has seen promising prospects.