New Delhi: Cipla Ltd on Wednesday said it will introduce a generic version of Gilead Science’s blockbuster Hepatitis C drug Sovaldi.
The drug will be sold in India by Cipla under the brand name ‘Hepcvir’. The announcement follows a non-exclusive licensing agreement between Cipla and Gilead in September.
It is estimated that 12-18 million people in India are infected by the virus.
US drug maker Gilead Sciences Inc. has licensed hepatitis C drug Sovaldi to seven Indian generic companies, including Cipla, to make and sell a low-cost version of the medicine in 91 developing countries.
Under the non-exclusive licensing agreement, Cipla is allowed to set its own price for its version of the drug, and will pay a royalty on sales to Gilead. Sovaldi, whose generic name is Sofosbuvir, was introduced in the US in December.
Though it is considered to be the most effective medication to treat hepatitis C, Sovaldi was not easily accessible to patients because of its steep price—at least $1,000 a pill.
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