In Talks With Drugmakers In India To Produce Experimental COVID-19 Drug Remdesivir: US Firm Gilead

Gilead Sciences, US Pharma major, on Wednesday, May 6, announced it was in discussion with some of the world's leading chemical and pharmaceutical companies including in India to manufacture remdesivir, an experimental COVID-19 drug.

The discussion is taking place to produce remdesivir, Gilead's patented antiviral drug for Europe, Asia and the developing world through at least 2022.

"The company is negotiating long-term voluntary licenses with several generic drugmakers in India and Pakistan to produce remdesivir for developing countries. Gilead will provide technology transfers to facilitate this production. Finally, the company is in active discussions with the Medicines Patent Pool, which Gilead has partnered with for many years, to license remdesivir for developing countries," said Gilead Sciences in a statement released on Wednesday.

Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) said that local manufactures can produce a patented drug under certain conditions during a pandemic. India is one of the top generic hubs in the world and can produce the drug under a voluntary licence where the patent holder gives permission to a generics drug manufacturer to make a drug.

Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, head, department of epidemiology and communicable disease, ICMR, said, "Such drugs can be generically manufactured after paying a royalty amount to the patent holder. There are certain provisions during a pandemic that can be made use of to manufacture the drug if required."

Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad has already synthesized the key ingredients for remdesivir, the first step to produce an active pharmaceutical ingredient in a drug.

The moves come after a clinical trial showed that administering remdesivir can reduce the recovery time of COVID-19 patients by a third.

India being a part of the World Health Organisation's Solidarity Trials for the cure of COVID-19 has received 1000 doses of the drug for testing.

Gilead added that it was in advanced talks with UNICEF to deliver the drug using the agency's distribution networks.

In a bid to maximise the drug supply across the globe, Gilead is expanding its network with manufacturing partners. Gilead announced that it would donate the first 1.5 million doses of remdesivir.

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