(Reuters) – India’s drug regulator has given Hetero Labs the green light to manufacture and market its generic version of Gilead Science’s experimental COVID-19 treatment remdesivir, the Indian pharmaceutical company said on Sunday.
The drug, which will be marketed under the brand name Covifor, will likely be priced at 5,000 to 6,000 rupees ($66-$79) for a 100 milligram dose, Hetero said.
India’s Cipla Ltd has also received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) to manufacture and market the drug, according to a report https://bit.ly/2AVcs0y in Indian Express.
Cipla and DGCI were not immediately available for comment.
Gilead Sciences Inc signed non-exclusive licensing pacts last month with five generic drugmakers based in India and Pakistan to expand the supply of its COVID-19 treatment.
The pacts allow Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd, Cipla, Hetero Labs, Mylan NV and Ferozsons Laboratories Ltd to make and sell the drug in 127 countries.
(Reporting by Sabahatjahan Contractor in Bengaluru; Editing by David Clarke)
