Indian company’s oral Covid generic medicine gets WHO’s initial nod
At a time when Covid cases are surging in several nations, Hyderabad-based Hetero Group has emerged as the first pharma player in the world to bag WHO’s prequalification of medicines programme for its generic version of oral Covid treatment, Nirmatrelvir, which along with Ritonavir is used in Pfizer’s oral drug, Paxlovid.
“This is the first prequalification for a generic version of Pfizer’s Paxlovid, which WHO called the best therapeutic choice for high-risk patients,” Hetero said.
Hetero was one of the 35 generic global companies, which includes 19 Indian companies, to have entered into a non-exclusive, voluntary licensing agreement with Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) in March for manufacture and sale of a generic version of Nirmatrelvir, which is co-packaged with Ritonavir in low and middle income countries (LMICs).
Hetero plans to roll out its affordable generic Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir combi-pack under Nirmacom brand across 95 LMICs, including India. As per sources, the five-day regimen of 30 tablets comprising 150mg Nirmatrelvir tablets and 100mg Ritonavir tablets, will be rolled out at around Rs 4,900 in the Indian market by January first week. Sources said the drug, which will be available only on prescription, will be manufactured at its facilities at Hyderabad and will be supplied only to government institutions and hospitals and private hospitals only.
Meanwhile, Pfizer is learnt to have tied up with a Cambridge-based start-up to develop another oral anti-viral drug to treat Covid.
