Covid-19: Gilead inks deal with Feronzsons for Remdesivir

BY NEWS DESK , (LAST UPDATED 5 HOURS AGO)

–US-based pharma signs deal with generic companies in South Asia to manufacture and distribute drug

United States-based pharmaceutical firm Gilead has entered a non-exclusive licencing agreement with five South Asian firms, including Ferozsons Laboratories, for the manufacturing and distribution of Remdesivir to 127 countries.

The drug is being tested as a treatment for Covid-19 and has been given emergency use authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The agreement allows the companies — Ferozsons Laboratories, Cipla Ltd, Hetero Labs Ltd, Jubilant Lifesciences, and Mylan — to manufacture and distribute the drug.

In a press release, Gilead said that under the licencing agreements, these companies have a right to receive a technology transfer of the Gilead manufacturing process for Remdesivir to enable them to scale up production more quickly. The licencees also set their own prices for the generic product they produce, it added.

The company also said that the licences are royalty-free until World Health Organisation (WHO) declares the end of the public health emergency or a vaccine is approved.

Low-income and lower-middle-income countries will be provided with the drug.

The emergency use authorisation of the drug is based on available data from two global clinical trials by the US National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease and Gilead.

Last week, Japan approved Remdesivir as a treatment for Covid-19, making it the country’s first officially authorised drug to tackle the coronavirus disease.

After emerging in China last December, the novel virus has spread to at least 187 countries and territories.

Globally, over 4.26 million people have been infected with the virus, while over 291,000 have died and 1.49 million have made a recovery, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.