Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai has partnered with UK-based pharmaceutical and services firm Clinigen Group to distribute Halaven (eribulin) in South Africa for the treatment of women with metastatic breast cancer.

The product will be provided through Clinigen's division Link Healthcare, which was acquired by the firm in 2015.

Discovered and developed by Eisai, Eribulin is a synthetic variant of microtubule dynamics inhibitor halichondrin B, designed to inhibit the growth phase of microtubule dynamics to prevent cell division.

Halaven is currently available in South Africa for the treatment of women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who have received at least two chemotherapeutic regimens for their advanced disease.

The prior therapy of these patients should have included an anthracycline and a taxane unless patients were not suitable for these treatments.

Clinigen group chief executive officer Shaun Chilton said: "This is the first distribution agreement of its kind for Clinigen following our acquisition of Link Healthcare in 2015, and provides access to eribulin in South Africa.

"This launch builds on our strong relationship with Eisai, allowing us to further demonstrate our local distribution knowledge and expertise."

A clinical trial (EMBRACE) conducted to evaluate eribulin in patients with metastatic breast cancer found that it can prolong median overall survival when compared to an alternative treatment of physician’s choice by 2.5 months.

Eribulin is currently indicated in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer and for adult patients with unresectable liposarcoma.