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Hetero
set for strong gains as BMS pledges not to sue Aspen
Anju Ghangurde
Mumbai, Aug 8: US giant, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS),
has decided against suing African generics firm, Aspen Pharmacare,
even if the latter replicates two of its patented AIDS drugs
for sale in Africa and 47 sub-Saharan African nations.
The move, in turn, will translate into strong gains for Aspen’s
Indian partner, Hetero Drugs, which will supply anti-retrovirals
to the African firm.
| ...plans to
launch Nelfin |
| Hetero Drugs is launching nelfinavir
mesylate, a protease inhibitor, under the brand name,
Nelfin, in the HIV/AIDS segment. “The drug is a highly
active inhibitor which prevents viral load to come down
to undetectable levels,” the company said. Nelfin has
been priced at Rs 9,000 for a pack of 270 tablets. Hetero
also plans to launch efavirenz, ritonavir and saquinavir
mesylate for HIV patients shortly. |
Hetero Drugs director (business development)
Dharmesh Shah said that the registration work was in progress
and supplies are likely to commence by October/November this
year. “It’s an overwhelming decision by BMS as we will be
making cost-effective supplies, taking the consent of the
patent holder. We hope that it sets a trend and we are pursuing
the matter with other companies too,” he said.
BMS’ reported pledge to “not sue” Aspen covers AIDS drugs,
Videx (didanosine) and Zerit (stavudine), and is believed
to be valid for around five years. However, BMS can review
its move if Aspen attempts to sell in markets other than those
agreed upon.
Hetero had earlier tied up with Aspen Pharmacare, to supply
its range of anti-retrovirals in AIDS-ravaged South Africa.
Aspen manufactures up to 25 per cent of South Africa’s state
tender requirements and Hetero will supply the active pharmaceutical
ingredients (APIs) and the technology for the finished formulation.
Aspen’s volume throughput and the consequent economies of
scale have resulted in globally competitive conversion costs.
While details on the value of supplies that Hetero could be
making are still being worked out, Mr Shah said that the royalty
factor had been adjusted in the API pricing.
Hetero Drugs had recently bagged an AIDS drug tender —- for
7,000 kg of indinavir —- from the Brazilian government, pipping
a host of big Indian and international drug firms to the post.
Hetero’s supplies of indinavir API is expected to translate
into a price of approximately 27 cents per capsule, almost
half of that offered by Merck for Crixivan (indinavir), the
patented version.
Hetero Drugs had also offered to supply Medecins sans Frontieres
(MSF) a basket of approximately eight anti-AIDS drugs at over
100 per cent discount to the prices offered by the multinationals
that hold the patents. Drugs on offer include nelfinavir,
indinavir, abacavir, zidovudine, ritonavir and efavirenz.
This offer is over and above Hetero’s $347 (per patient, per
year) supply proposal to governments and the MSF for a cocktail
of three anti-AIDS drugs.
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