Dr. Reddy’s partners with FUJIFILM and Global Response Aid for Avigan® (favipiravir), a potential treatment of COVID-19

Hyderabad, India, July 02, 2020 - Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. (BSE: 500124, NSE: DRREDDY, NYSE: RDY, hereafter referred to as “Dr. Reddy’s”) announces partnering with FUJIFILM Corporation through FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical Co. Ltd. (hereafter referred to as “FUJIFILM”) and Global Response Aid (hereafter referred to as “GRA”) for the development, manufacture and sales of Avigan® Tablets (generic name: favipiravir), a potential treatment of COVID-19. 

Under the tripartite agreement signed on 30^th June 2020, FUJIFILM grants Dr. Reddy’s the exclusive rights of manufacturing and also grants both Dr. Reddy’s and GRA the rights to develop, sell and distribute Avigan® in all countries other than Japan, China and Russia. Dr. Reddy’s would have exclusive rights for development, selling and distribution of Avigan® in India. Further, FUJIFILM would receive an upfront license fee and royalties on sales from Dr. Reddy’s and GRA.

FUJIFILM will provide Dr. Reddy’s and GRA with an array of data on Avigan®’s preclinical and clinical studies that FUJIFILM has accumulated thus far. Dr. Reddy’s and GRA will use this data for clinical studies targeting COVID-19 in regions where infection has been spreading. In addition, FUJIFILM will grant Dr.Reddy’s right to use Avigan®’s patents of formulation and manufacturing method. Dr. Reddy’s will herewith establish a setup for manufacturing drugs of the same quality as Avigan®, and utilize GRA’s global sales network to supply the manufactured drugs swiftly and in a stable manner.

The FUJIFILM Group is currently conducting a clinical study on Avigan® targeting COVID-19 patients in Japan and the US, and is working to increase the drug’s production by partnering with domestic and overseas companies. Dr. Reddy’s and GRA shall introduce the product in the market post all applicable approvals in the respective countries.

About Avigan® Tablets

Avigan® Tablet, developed by FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical, was approved for manufacture and sale in Japan in 2014 as an influenza antiviral drug. The drug is to be considered for use only when there is an outbreak of novel or re-emerging influenza virus infections in which other influenza antiviral drugs are either not effective or insufficiently effective, and the Japanese government decides to use the drug as a countermeasure against such influenza viruses.