Natco Pharma Ltd has entered into a non-exclusive, royalty-free agreement with Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and Bristol Myers Squibb to manufacture and sell generic version of Bristol Myers Squibb’s chronic hepatitis c medicine, Daclatasvir Dihydrochloride (Daclatasvir).
Natco will market generic Daclatasvir under its own brand NATDAC and through its strategic partners in India.
"This agreement allows Natco to expand access to these chronic hepatitis C medicines in 122 developing countries. Under the licence, it can set its own price for the generic products it makes,’’ the company said in a release issued here on Thursday.
Daclatasvir, discovered and developed by Bristol Myers Squibb, is the first in class NS5A inhibitor used in combination with Sofosbuvir for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 infection.
Compared to other treatment options, this combination not only increases the cure rate, but is also regarded as a valuable treatment option in some of the difficult to treat HCV patients, it added.
Natco’s scrip gained 5.52 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Thursday and is trading at Rs 534.90 in the first hour after opening of trade.