Cipla open to forge a partnership to distribute Covid-19 vaccines in India

 The company already makes and markets antiviral drugs like remdesivir, favipiravir in India apart from importing and distributing Roche's tocilizumab (Actemra)

Cipla, which has a strong portfolio of Covid-19 drugs, says it is now open to forging a partnership to distribute Covid vaccines in India.

“We are open to having a vaccine partnership. A company that will be able to do vaccine distribution successfully in India will have significant distribution muscle – like large warehouses, cold chain capabilities, footprint throughout India. We fit the bill well. We are open to it, but as of now nothing to report,” said Kedar Upadhye, global CFO of Cipla. Cipla does not want to get into vaccine manufacturing. It is augmenting its Covid-19 therapy portfolio too. Analysts felt the Covid portfolio may contribute Rs 2,000 crore in sales in FY22.

The company already makes and markets antiviral drugs like remdesivir, favipiravir in India apart from importing and distributing Roche’s tocilizumab (Actemra). Covid-19 portfolio roughly accounted for 5 percent of Cipla’s domestic turnover in 2020-21.

In the second wave, Cipla has added more products to its kitty – MSD’s molnupiravir (oral antiviral), Eli Lilly’s Baricitinib (oral drug used for inflammatory and autoimmune disorders), and Roche’s antibody cocktail for Covid19.

Molnupiravir is an investigational drug that is currently being studied in a phase 3 trial for the treatment of non-hospitalized patients with Covid19. Upadhye thus said that bringing Molnupiravir, an MSD drug, will take some time. “It may take a few months. Once it is approved in the US, the corresponding application will be done in India,” he said.

In comparison, Eli Lilly’s Baricitinib can be launched sooner. Cipla will be manufacturing the drug here too along with the bulk drug. As for Roche’s antibody cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab), it can be expected to be available in the next few days.

The antibody cocktail (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) is to be administered for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid patients aged 12 years and above. On March 23, Roche announced that a large phase III global trial in high-risk non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients ("outpatients") met its primary endpoint, showing that Casirivimab and imdevimab significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 70 percent compared to placebo. Casirivimab and imdevimab also shortened the duration of symptoms by four days, Cipla has said.