India, Hyderabad; 17 March, 2022: Hetero, one of India’s leading generic pharmaceutical companies and the world’s largest producer of anti-retroviral drugs, announced today that it has entered into a non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) for manufacturing and sale of a generic version of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment candidate nirmatrelvir, which is co-packaged with low dose ritonavir (nirmatrelvir; ritonavir).
Under this licensing deal, Hetero will be allowed to expand access of co-packaged nirmatrelvir & ritonavir generics for COVID-19 treatment in India and in other low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), following the approvals by local regulatory agencies.
About nirmatrelvir & ritonavir
Nirmatrelvir is an investigational SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor antiviral therapy, specifically designed to be administered orally so that it can be prescribed at the first sign of infection or at first awareness of an exposure, potentially helping patients avoid severe illness which can lead to hospitalization and death. Nirmatrelvir is designed to block the activity of the SARS-CoV-2-3CL protease, an enzyme that the coronavirus needs to replicate. Co-administration with a low dose of ritonavir helps slow the metabolism, or breakdown, of nirmatrelvir in order for it to remain active in the body for longer periods of time at higher concentrations to help combat the virus.
About Hetero
Hetero is a globally renowned vertically integrated pharmaceutical organization engaged in research and development, manufacturing, and marketing of high-quality chemical and biologic medicines across diverse therapeutic areas. Backed by 27+ years of expertise in the pharmaceutical industry, Hetero’s strategic business areas spread across APIs, Global Generics, Biosimilars and Custom Pharmaceutical Services. The company is among the largest producers of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in the world.
Hetero has 36 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities strategically located worldwide, which has been approved by top pharma regulatory bodies of the world. Our portfolio includes 300+ products encompassing major therapeutic categories such as HIV/AIDS, Oncology, Cardiovascular, Neurology, Hepatitis, Nephrology etc. Hetero has a strong global presence in over 126 countries and focusses on making affordable medicines accessible to patients worldwide.
Over the years, Hetero has established its strong leadership in ARVs and Antiviral therapies and caters to 40% of existing global demand for Anti-Retroviral (ARV) APIs and Finished Dosage Forms (FDFs) used in HIV/AIDS treatment. For more information on Hetero, please visit www.heteroworld.com.
For further details, please contact:
SreeRam Banda
Head - Corporate Communications, Hetero
Mobile: 97036 20166
Email: sreeram.b@heterodrugs.com
Caution Notice
Please beware of fake online pharmacies. Kindly note that Hetero does not engage in any form of online distribution or retailing of medicines. Hetero and its group subsidiaries supply the products worldwide, only through their exclusive distribution networks.
