Mundipharma International Establishes Middle East HQ in UAE

New Regional General Manager Appointed to lead Mundipharma's Middle East operations from Dubai, Healthcare City Headquarters

Dubai, 23 September, 2013: Mundipharma has expanded its presence into the Middle East to support its purpose of improving the health and quality of life of people everywhere. The expansion is part of Mundipharma's ongoing commitment to bring innovative, effective and safe treatments to satisfy the unmet medical needs of patients suffering from moderate to severe pain, in regions with minimal accessibility. 

To lead its presence in the region, Mundipharma has appointed Ashraf Allam as the Regional General Manager of its Middle East and Africa operations.

Ashraf brings over 24 years of experience from the pharmaceutical, medical device and  biotechnology industries along with a wealth of scientific knowledge and a strong track record in sales, marketing, patient advocacy and drug access efforts.  He most recently served as Regional Managing Director for Amgen, responsible for the management of its Middle East and Africa (MEA) operations.  Ashraf also currently serves as the elected chairman for the executive committee for PhRMA, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, representing the Region's leading pharmaceutical researchers and biotechnology companies.  

In welcoming Ashraf to his new role, Raman Singh, Regional Director, Mundipharma Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa said, ”We are very pleased to have Ashraf on the ground in the Middle East to help lead Mundipharma's capabilities and more importantly, bring innovative treatments to patients in the UAE and across the Middle East. I am confident we will all benefit from his combination of international experience, local-market expertise and patient-focused approach.”

He added, “There is a great unmet need in the treatment of cancer and non-cancer pain in this region and it is our responsibility as a company to harness innovation to provide patients with easier access to therapeutic strategies to improve the quality of their lives. The opening of our new Dubai hub for our Middle East and Africa operation reinforces our drive to deliver new possibilities in treatments, focused on the best interest of patients and those who care for them.''

Before moving to Dubai in 2006, Ashraf was based in Switzerland as Executive Director for international business development which included responsibility for Amgen's operations in Italy, Greece, MEA and the Balkans. While at Amgen, he was responsible for business development and was a key executive of the global strategy and commercial development team. Ashraf has also held various senior management roles for Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly which included leadership roles general management, sales and marketing as well as business development in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Under Ashraf's leadership, Mundipharma will continue to build relationships and long-term partnerships with the Ministries of Health and the medical community to promote greater awareness of pain management in the Middle East.

Ashraf Allam, said, “It gives me great pleasure to join the team at Mundipharma and to work in a company which has global reach and is a trusted leader in the field of pain management. As one of the fastest growing emerging markets in the world, there is much untapped potential and an opportunity to serve more than 500 million people. I look forward to seeing the company expand in the Middle East and Africa with patients and innovation at the forefront of our business.”

About Mundipharma International Corporation Limited

Mundipharma's independent privately owned companies cover the world's pharmaceutical markets. Mundipharma delivers high quality products, standing by its mission to alleviate the suffering of patients with cancer and non-cancer pain and to substantially improve their quality of life. Mundipharma and its partners are dedicated to bringing to patients with severe and debilitating diseases the benefit of novel treatment options in fields such as severe pain, oncology, respiratory disease rheumatoid arthritis, antiseptics and laxatives. For more information please visit: www.mundipharma.asia