Generic companies ink hepatitis C deal with BMS

Pharmaceutical companies including Cipla and Natco Pharma have signed a sub-licensing deal enabling them to produce a generic version of Bristol Myers Squibb’s (BMS) hepatitis C drug Daclatasvir (daklinza).

The agreement, signed with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), is the first of its kind for the hepatitis C drug and marks the first time that generic manufacturers have signed a deal with a not-for-profit health organisation.

The licences follow the MPP’s announcement in November last year that it had signed a licensing agreement with BMS centring on the drug.

Under that deal the MPP, which aims to increase the availability of medicines directed to HIV/AIDS treatment in poorer countries, offers sub licences to generic manufacturers.

India-based Emcure Pharmaceuticals and Hetero Drugs have also signed up to the deal.

In a statement announcing the agreement on January 20 Cipla said that between 130 and 150 million people worldwide are estimated to have hepatitis C.

Greg Perry, executive director of the MPP, said: “Given the burden of hepatitis C, MPP worked quickly to forge agreements with generic companies.”

Rajeev Nannapaneni, vice chairman and chief executive of Natco, said: “We look forward to collaborating with MPP to improve access to these medicines in India and elsewhere.”