Eli Lilly and Company India said on Tuesday it has received permission for restricted emergency use of its antibody drugs bamlanivimab 700 mg and etesevimab 1,400 mg in India for treatment of patients with mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Both drugs together are indicated for restricted use in emergency situation, IV route for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 for injection administration in hospital settings in adults and pediatric patients.
Lilly said it is engaging in active dialogue with the Indian government and regulatory authorities to donate bamlanivimab and etesevimab in order to speed up access and provide treatment options for patients with Covid-19. The drugs together have been authorised under emergency use authorisation in the United States and select European Union countries for treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19.
Luca Visini, Managing Director for Lily's India subcontinent operations, said the company has another innovative treatment option to offer India's healthcare providers who continue to be at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19.
"Lilly is committed to contributing to the alleviation of Covid-19 pandemic in India and around the world. We will continue to assess and evaluate how our existing portfolio and ongoing research can benefit patients with Covid-19," he said in a statement.
Earlier in May, the company had also received permission for emergency use of baricitinib in combination with remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or laboratory confirmed Covid-19 in hospitalised adults requiring supplemental oxygen, invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
Meanwhile India's Biological E. said on Tuesday it has entered into a licensing agreement with Providence Therapeutics Holdings to manufacture the Canadian company's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in India.
Biological E., which also has a separate deal to produce about 600 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N) COVID-19 shot annually, will run a clinical trial of Providence's vaccine in India and seek emergency use approval for it, the company said in a statement.
Providence will sell up to 30 million doses of its mRNA vaccine, PTX-COVID19-B, to Biological E., and will also provide the necessary technology transfer of the shot, with a minimum production capacity of 600 million doses in 2022 and a target capacity of 1 billion doses.
Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
India has been struggling with a devastating second wave of the pandemic and has managed to fully vaccinate only about 3% of its population. On Monday, the Serum Institute of India said it will increase production of AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) shot by nearly 40% in June, a step towards bridging the shortfall in the country. read more
"The mRNA platform has emerged as the front runner in delivering the first vaccines for emergency use to combat the COVID-19 pandemic," said Mahima Datla, Biological E.'s managing director.
India's Dr. Reddy's Laboratories is also in talks with the government to bring Russia's Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine into the country, a company spokesperson told Reuters on Monday.
Dr. Reddy's is also in talks with the Indian government and the private sector to supply the two-dose Sputnik V vaccine, which the company expects to commercially launch in the country in the middle of next month.