Dr Reddy's joins other Indian firms to make Remdesivir under Gilead licence

DRL to receive technology transfer from Gilead and would need to scale up manufacturing and obtain regulatory approvals from 127 countries for marketing the drug

Dr Reddy's Laboratories today announced that it has entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. that will grant the Indian drug maker the right to register, manufacture and sell Gilead's investigational drug, Remdesivir, a potential treatment for Covid-19, in 127 countries including India.

Dr Reddy's joins other Indian generics company that have entered licensing agreements for Remdesivir. Last month. Cipla Limited, Hetero Labs Limited and Jubilant Life Sciences had signed similar licensing agreements with Gilead for manufacturing and sale of its Covid-19 drug as the innovator company announced non-exclusive agreements with generic drug makers in multiple countries.

The Indian drug regulator has reportedly approved the applications of Cipla and Hetero Labs to manufacture and sell Remdesivir.

Under the agreement Dr Reddy's will receive technology transfer from Gilead for manufacturing of this drug. The company would need to scale up manufacturing and obtain regulatory approval for marketing the drug in respective countries.

Remdesivir, an investigational antiviral therapy developed by Gilead, received Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) to treat Covid-19.