Gilead's hepatitis C drug licensing to benefit more patients: Govt

Company's delegation met Nirmala Sitharaman and informed about the signing of non-exclusive licensing agreements

The signing of licensing agreement by US-based drug maker Gilead Sciences Inc for hepatitis C drug with seven India-based firms will give access to many patients to buy this medicine at affordable prices, the government said today.

A delegation of Gilead Sciences Inc yesterday met Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and informed about the signing of non-exclusive licensing agreements.

The Gilead team also briefed the minister about the fact that no price limitations have been fixed in the said licensing deal in order to ensure adequate competition amongst the licensees resulting in competitive prices for the patients.

"Sitharaman welcomed the development as this will result in expansion of access of these drugs to many more patients," an official statement said.

The delegation has also informed the minister that under the licensing agreements, the Indian companies receive a technology transfer of the Gilead manufacturing process to enable them to scale up production as quickly as possible.

Further, it said that during the meeting Sitharaman emphasised that pharmaceutical industry has a pronounced human aspect and such a sector cannot be governed by the commercial considerations alone.

"India respects the intellectual property in new drugs but also emphasised that complete technology transfer is important to enhance the country's manufacturing capabilities in this critical area," the statement said quoting Sitharaman.

India appreciates the value of innovation and partnerships to improve access of medicines through transparent, non restrictive voluntary licensing and hope that it will help in technology transfer in front-end technologies in healthcare, she said.

The seven Indian companies which has signed the deal include Cadila Healthcare, Cipla, Mylan Lab, Ranbaxy Lab and Strides Arcolab to manufacture Sofosbuvir (hepatitis C drug) and the investigational single tablet regimen of ledipasvir/ sofosbuvir for distribution in 91 developing countries.

These countries account for 54 per cent of the total global infected population of Hepatitis C.

On September 15, the US-based drug maker has signed licensing agreements for hepatitis C to make them available in 91 developing countries.

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus. It is a blood borne virus and the most common modes of infection are through unsafe injection practices; inadequate sterilisation of medical equipment in some health-care settings; and unscreened blood and blood products, as per WHO.