Cipla, Emcure, Hetero and Natco Pharma join patent pool for new Hepatitis C drug Daclatasvir

Mumbai: Cipla, Emcure, Hetero and Natco Pharma have received the license for Bristol Myers Squibb' Hepatitis C drug Daclatasvir under the Geneve based Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). Under the royalty free, non exclusive agreement with BMS, the MPP agreement will allow the companies to market this drug in 112 low and middle income countries.

There might be more companies who might join the patent pool for the drug. Daclatasvir is known to cure multiple genotypes of the Hep C virus.

"Given the burden of hepatitis C, MPP worked quickly to forge agreements with generic companies," said Greg Perry, Executive Director of the MPP.

Data shows that Daclatasvir, in combination with sofosbuvir, for example, produces high cure rates after 12 weeks of treatment,"With recent Phase III studies demonstrating that the regimen could cure up to 100% of HCV patients depending on genotype and stage of liver disease", MPP said in a statement.