Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical companies Natco Pharma and Hetero Drugs have received the approval from the Drugs Controller General (India) to sell generic versions of sofosbuvir tablets (400 mg) in India.
Sofosbuvir is a blockbuster drug to treat chronic hepatitis C infection and is sold globally by US pharmaceutical major Gilead Sciences under its brand Sovaldi. Gilead recently entered into non-exclusive licensing agreements with the two companies and six other Indian generic pharmaceutical manufacturers to make generic versions of the drug.
“Hetero Drugs is launching it under the brand Sofovir,” Srinivas Reddy, Director Marketing, Hetero Drugs, said. Natco launched its brand Hepcinat in Nepal earlier this week and will market Hepcinat through its strategic partners in India.
The voluntary license allows the Indian companies to sell the drug in 91 countries on payment of a 7 per cent royalty on billing price to Gilead. As per the agreement, the companies will sell the product below $900 for the three-month treatment.
“We will be selling to all 91 countries over the next 6-9 months,” Mr. Reddy said adding, “We have to register in each market after India. We will start with the ASEAN countries and then go to other markets.”
