Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Hetero signed independent agreements with Gilead Sciences to manufacture and distribute lenacapavir in 120 predominantly low and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) under a non-exclusive, voluntary license.
The partnership aims to expand access to lenacapavir, an innovative HIV treatment used in combination with other antiretrovirals. Additionally, it supports efforts to prevent HIV through pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
“Lenacapavir is a significant advancement for Dr. Reddy’s in improving patient access and affordability for both pre-and post-exposure HIV treatments. Our collaboration with Gilead will allow us to bring this cutting-edge treatment to patients across 120 countries, primarily LMICs, including India,” said Deepak Sapra, Chief Executive Officer of API and Services at Dr. Reddy’s.
Sapra added, “Many of these countries bear a high burden of HIV, and this partnership is a crucial step toward achieving our goal of impacting 1.5 billion patients by 2030”.
Vamsi Krishna Bandi, Managing Director, Hetero Group of Companies added, “Our partnership with Gilead Sciences reinforces our commitment to advancing HIV prevention and treatment. We are dedicated to swiftly making Lenacapavir accessible in regions such as Africa, India, and other LMICs, where we have long been a leader in HIV/AIDS care”.
As reported by thehindubusinessline.com, lenacapavir, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), is used to treat HIV-1 in adults with multidrug-resistant infections who are no longer responding to their current antiretroviral regimen due to resistance, intolerance, or safety issues.