Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) today announced
that the company has signed eight new non-exclusive license agreements
with generic companies in India. These licensing agreements grant to
Alkem Laboratories Ltd., Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., FDC Ltd., J.B.
Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Matrix Laboratories Ltd., Medchem
International, Ranbaxy Laboratories and Shasun Chemicals & Drugs Ltd.
the rights to produce and distribute generic versions of tenofovir
disoproxil fumarate (tenofovir DF) to 95 low-income countries around
the world, including India. Tenofovir DF is sold by Gilead under the
brand name Viread(R).
The license agreements require that the generic companies meet
certain national and international regulatory standards and include a
technology transfer to enable expeditious production of large volumes
of high-quality generic versions of tenofovir DF. In addition, these
agreements allow the manufacture of commercial quantities of both
active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and finished product. In
August, Gilead announced similar agreements with India-based Emcure
Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Hetero Drugs Ltd. and Strides Arcolab Ltd.
"We are pleased to have established agreements with eight
additional India-based manufacturers, further expanding capacity for
production and distribution in India and in other developing world
countries," said John C. Martin, PhD, President and CEO of Gilead
Sciences. "We hope that these agreements will expedite access to
therapy for patients in resource-limited parts of the world where the
HIV epidemic has hit the hardest."
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers,
develops and commercializes innovative therapeutics in areas of unmet
medical need. The company's mission is to advance the care of patients
suffering from life-threatening diseases worldwide. Headquartered in
Foster City, California, Gilead has operations in North America,
Europe and Australia. For more information on Gilead Sciences, please
visit the company's website at www.gilead.com.
Viread is a registered trademark of Gilead Sciences, Inc.
