Cipla dispatches first batch of AIDS drugs for public health distribution

Our Corporate Bureau

Mumbai, Sept 17: Domestic pharma giant, Cipla, has despatched its first free consignment of anti-AIDS drug, ‘Nevirapine’, to the Indian Government for distribution under the public health system.

Nevirapine is the first non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor.
Cipla’s joint managing director, Mr Amar Lulla said that the first consignment of 900 bottles of Nevimune suspension in 25 ml packs has been despatched to various hospitals as per Unicef’s instructions. Cipla expects to make supplies of around 5,000 such bottles in the next phase as part of its effort.

As per the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)-Unicef supported feasibility study, Cipla’s nevirapine supplies are being made to the Kasturba Gandhi Hospital in Chennai, KEM hospital and the Sir JJ Group of Hospitals in Mumbai, the Vani Vilas Hospital in Bangalore, among others. Nevimune suspension is priced at roughly Rs 50 per bottle.

Cipla had, in its proposal to the ministry of health and family affairs, said that it will offer Nevimune (nevirapine tablets and suspension) for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection at “no cost for distribution within India”. Nevimune, at that time, was priced at Rs 135 ($3) per tablet, a discount of 150 per cent on the international price of Rs 344 ($8) per tablet, though analysts do not expect supplies of this nature to impact the company’s bottomline significantly.

The supply of Nevimune, the company had stated at the time of making its offer, would continue for two years from the time distribution is taken up by the Government/National AIDS Control Organisation/Unicef etc.

Cipla’s offer is significant given the furore created over the unaffordability of anti-HIV drugs in countries like South Africa. Besides, it’s efficacy in the combination treatment of HIV infection, studies have also indicated that a single dose of nevirapine 200 mg administered to an HIV infected mother at the onset of labour and another dose given to the newborn within the first 72 hours of birth can check disease transmission by as much as 50 per cent.

Cipla had made waves internationally when it offered to sell a combination of three AIDS drugs for $600 per patient a year to South Africa and other governments (approximately $400 below prices offered by the MNCs that hold the patents to these drugs). This is besides the company’s offer of $350 to Medecins sans Frontieres.