Indian drug makers in UN patents pool

The UN-backed Medicines Patents Pool has signed six sub-licences with Aurobindo, Cipla, Desano, Emcure, Hetero Labs and Laurus Labs, allowing them to make generic anti-AIDS medicine Tenofovir Alafenamide (TAF) for 112 developing countries.

TAF is a novel investigational medicine from California-based Gilead, and just two months ago, the company had given a licence on the drug to the Medicines Patents Pool (MPP).

The idea is for generic players to develop and produce these medicines at low prices for different countries.

The MPP announcement comes a day after Gilead released positive results on two of its TAF late stage studies, suggesting that the medicine has the potential to play a large role in the international community’s efforts to scale up HIV treatment, the MPP note said. .

“The generic companies will begin development plans for a promising, new HIV product simultaneously with the US Food and Drug Administration’s review to expedite access to low-and middle-income countries once the medicine is approved,” Greg Perry, MPP Executive Director, said in a statement.

This is the seventh HIV collaboration Aurobindo is having with MPP.

Desano is the first Chinese enterprise to join the MPP as a sub-licensee, signing an agreement with the organisation just months ago for the manufacture of atazanavir, used to treat people who have developed resistance to their current regimens.

Hetero also has sub-licences with MPP for the development of dolutegravir, a promising new HIV drug.

Laurus Labs is a long-time MPP partner working on six projects including the production of five Gilead HIV drugs. Business LIne