Cipla enters into licensing pact with Eli Lilly for Baricitinib drug

Cipla Limited on Monday announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Eli Lilly to expand access to Covid-19 treatment in India. The pharma company has signed a royalty-free, non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with US' Eli Lilly for the manufacture and commercialization of the drug Baricitinib for Covid-19 indication, it said in a filing.

Baricitinib was issued a restricted emergency use approval by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), Ministry of Health, India for use in combination with remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or laboratory confirmed COVID-19 in hospitalized adults requiring supplemental oxygen, invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), Cipla added.

The company said it will leverage its distribution footprint to make this therapy accessible to more patients and markets.

Commenting on the partnership, Umang Vohra, MD and Global CEO, Cipla Limited said, “Enabling access to high-quality treatment and medication is core to our purpose of ‘Caring for life.’ Through the pandemic, Cipla has been at the forefront of COVID care and our partnership with Lilly is a demonstration of our unwavering commitment to care towards patients impacted by Covid-19.''