Strides Arcolab has launched its generic drug Sofosbuvir in India under the brand name 'Virso'.
This drug, which is used for Hepatitis C treatment has a high barrier to resistance, good safety profile, amongst other features and is shown to have cure rates of around 90 per cent, according to Strides officials.
In India, it is estimated that 12-18 million patients are infected with Hepatitis C, which is several fold greater than those with HIV/AIDS. Further, it is estimated that 170-185 million people are chronically infected with Hepatitis C virus globally. Eying this market potential in India and across the world, Strides entered into a licensing agreement with US-based Gilead Sciences, to bring Hepatitis C cure to 91 developing countries.
The product will be available to Indian patients shortly but the company did not disclose the timeline. Mohan Kumar, CEO-Pharma in a statement said that this partnership with Gilead Sciences is a big leap in its commitment towards bringing critical healthcare at affordable cost. However, the company did not divulge the cost of this drug for Indian patients.