Dr Reddy’s secures thrombosis drug rights in $17.5m deal

Indian pharmaceutical company Dr Reddy’s has agreed a deal to buy global intellectual property rights to a generic version of GSK’s deep vein thrombosis (DVT) treatment Arixtra (fondaparinux sodium) as part of a $17.5 million deal with a partner company.

A generic version of the drug is produced by Alchemia, an Australian partner of Dr Reddy’s, but the pair has agreed to assign all rights to Dr Reddy’s.

The deal, announced on November 18, was approved at Alchemia’s annual general meeting on November 10.

A spokesman for Dr Reddy’s told LSIPR: “Many aspects of drug products, including generic products, can be the subject of patent protection.

“The patent portfolio purchased by Dr Reddy’s covers methods of making the product and prevents others from using its particularly robust processes until at least 2022.”

Arixtra is approved in the US and Europe for the treatment of DVT and pulmonary embolism and is also used to prevent DVT after major surgery.