Strides Arcolab, Gilead join hands for marketing HIV drugs

Strides will manufacture, distribute the drugs in 112 countries

Strides Arcolab Limited has entered into a licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc for marketing HIV drugs. 

Under the agreement, Gilead has extended non-exclusive rights to Strides to manufacture and distribute Tenofovir Alafenamide (TAF) - used for treatment of AIDS.

The license being granted to Strides extends to 112 countries, which together account for more than 30 million people living with HIV, Strides said in a statement.

As part of the licensing agreement, Strides will receive a technology transfer from Gilead, enabling Strides to manufacture low-cost versions of TAF for developing countries.

On Tuesday, shares of Strides went up by 1.32% at Rs 938.7, intra-day on the BSE.

Last week, Gilead faced a setback as Indian Patent Controller rejected Gilead’s key patent applications for drug sofosbuvir, used to treat hepatitis C (HCV). The oral drug first received regulatory approval in the US in November 2013. Patent applications on sofosbuvir were challenged in India by the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK) and the Delhi Network of Positive People (DNP+) in November 2013 and March 2014.