DRL to launch innovator brand of favipiravir, is silent on pricing

Ties up with Fujifilm for exclusive rights over Avigan for Indian market, can sell overseas too

The next favipiravir brand will be in market soon as Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) on Wednesday said that it has tied up with the innovator Fujifilm to launch the brand Avigan in India. DRL has the rights to sell the drug overseas other than Japan, China and Russia. 

The company did not wish to disclose the price of the drug or by when it could launch it in the Indian market. It would be a nod from the country's drug regulator before it can launch the product for Indian market. Mumbai based Glenmark has launched the drug for Rs 103 per tablet. Several companies including Lupin and Cipla are learnt to be in fray to launch their respective brands of favipiravir. Industry sources feel the prices could crash by 40 per cent or so soon with multiple products available in the market. 

Industry feels that DRL would price the drug at par with Glenmark's Fabiflu as it is the innovator product. "It is unlikely to price it lower than Glenmark as the innovator brand always gets a premium in pricing," said an industry executive. 

DRL said it is parntering with Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co and  Global Response Aid for the development, manufacture and sales of Avigan tablets. a potential treatment of Covid-19. Under the tripartite agreement signed on June 30,  Fujifilm grants DRL the exclusive rights of manufacturing and also grants both DRL  and GRA the rights to develop, sell and distribute Avigan in all countries other than Japan, China and Russia. In India DRL will have exclusive rights over Avigan, the innovator brand. 

Further, Fujifilm would receive an upfront license fee and royalties on sales from DRL and GRA. It will provide data on Avigan's pre-clinical and clinical studies. DRL said it will utilise GRA's global sales network to supply the drugs manufactured by it to other countries. 

 The Fujifilm Group is currently conducting a clinical study on Avigan targeting Covid-19 patients in Japan and the US, and is working to increase the drug’s production by partnering with domestic and overseas companies. 

Avigan was approved for manufacture and sale in Japan in 2014 as an influenza antiviral drug. The drug is to be considered for use only when there is an outbreak of novel or re-emerging influenza virus infections in which other influenza antiviral drugs are either not effective or insufficiently effective.