Industry News

ICMR has partnered with Bharat Biotech lnternational Limited (BBIL) to fast-track clinical trials of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID Vaccine) and its clinical trials were approved by DCGI by end of June.

Sun Pharma and includes its subsidiaries and/or associate companies) announced that one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries has received approval from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Japan for ILUMYA (tildrakizumab) for the treatment of plaque psoriasis in adult patients who have an inadequate response to conventional therapies. Japan has approximately 430,000 people currently suffering from psoriasis.

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) announced that it has completed the acquisition of intimate hygiene brand VWash from Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. This acquisition was announced on March 23, 2020 and was subject to certain closing conditions, which have now been fulfilled.

Cipla Limited announced the launch of remdesivir under its brand name CIPREMI. The U.S. FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Gilead Sciences Inc. for emergency use of remdesivir for the treatment of hospitalized 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients. It is the only U.S. FDA approved Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) treatment for adult and paediatric patients hospitalized with suspected or laboratory confirmed COVID-19 infection. In May, Gilead Sciences Inc. extended a voluntary non-exclusive license to Cipla to manufacture and market Cipla’s generic version of remedisvir called CIPREMI.

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has entered into a non-exclusive Licensing Agreement with Gilead Sciences that will grant Dr. Reddy’s the right to register, manufacture and sell Gilead’s investigational drug, Remdesivir, a potential treatment for Covid-19, in 127 countries including India.

Sun Pharma's wholly-owned subsidiaries and Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma) have entered into an exclusive licensing and distribution agreement for ILUMYA™, an innovative biologic product, for the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region.

Johnson & Johnson announced that through its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies (Janssen) it has accelerated the initiation of the Phase 1/2a first-in-human clinical trial of its investigational SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, Ad26.COV2-S, recombinant. Initially scheduled to begin in September, the trial is now expected to commence in the second half of July.