JB Chemicals to manufacture, distribute ARV drug

New Delhi, Sep 22: JB Chemicals&Pharmaceuticals Ltd has entered into a non-exclusive license agreement with Gilead Sciences, to manufacture and distribute a generic version of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate.

As per the terms of the agreement, Gilead has granted the company a non-exclusive licensing right to manufacture and distribute generic versions of tenofovir to 95 countries including India.

The company will register and distribute this drug on its own or through its partners/distributors in these countries.

Tenofovir is an anti retroviral drug, which is found to be useful in cases where a pactient is resistant to other anti-retroviral (ARV) agents. The drug is indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults.

Currently, over six million people in India are suffering from this life threatening disease. Taking into consideration the phenomenal rise in the number of people with HIV in India, Tenofovir will be a welcome addition.

''Through this product, we will be able to meet the needs of patients suffering from HIV in India and in many other countries and will continue to expand our basket of ARV products through internal development and licensing agreements to meet the needs of patients suffering from the disease,'' said JB Chemicals&Pharmaceuticals Ltd Chairman and Managing Director J B Mody.

The company plans to launch a specialty division in the second quarter of FY 2007 for marketing ARV drugs in India. Presently, the market size for ARV products in India is estimated to be about Rs 100 crore. Taking into account the annual sales of ARV drugs worldwide mainly in developing continents such as African. and South-East Asia, it offers tremendous opportunity for growth.

In consideration of Gilead having agreed to provide technology know-how for active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and finished product. The company shall pay a royalty on net sales of the finished product to Gilead.

This marks the company's first in-licensing agreement for a patented product and it will continue to scout for many such opportunities across therapeutic segments, Mr Mody said.

UNI