Gilead Grants Remdesivir Licenses to Four More Generic Drugmakers

Gilead Sciences has signed four more non-exclusive licensing agreements with generic drugmakers to make remdesivir available to COVID-19 patients in low-income countries.

The companies will be allowed to distribute remdesivir in 127 countries that are primarily low- income or middle-income as well as in several upper-, middle- and high-income countries that face significant obstacles to healthcare access.

The generic drugmakers will receive a technology transfer of Gilead’s manufacturing process for remdesivir so that they can scale up production quickly and so that they can set their own prices for the drug, Gilead said.

The companies signing new contracts with Gilead are Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Syngene and Zydus Cadila Healthcare in India, and Egypt-based Eva Pharma. They join Cipla, Ferozsons Laboratories, Hetero Labs, Jubilant Lifesciences and Mylan, which signed contracts last month (DID, May 13).

The licenses will be royalty-free until the World Health Organization declares an end to the Public Health Emergency of International Concern regarding COVID-19, or until a drug other than remdesivir or a vaccine is approved to treat or prevent COVID-19 — whichever happens first. — Suz Redfearn