MSD, Cipla to co-market AIDS drug in India
- MSD (Merck & Co) and Cipla signed an India-specific tactical partnership, as per which, Cipla will have a non-exclusive licence to promote, distribute and market Raltegravir 400 mg tablet of MSD, with a different brand name in the country.
- MSD is known for providing innovative treatments for HIV patients.
- Raltegravir treatment is prescribed for the victims as the ‘third-line recovery‘ regimen, which is after failing with all other treatment options. Cipla has started collaborating with multinational companies to make anti-retroviral drugs at lower costs.
- MSD’s Singapore facility used to supply Raltegravir in India, and the packaging will be done at their main site in Australia.
- According to NACO (National AIDS Control Organization), in India, there were around 20.9 lakh HIV positive people in 2011. During 2007-11, there was around 29% decrease in the annual HIV-related deaths due to the wider access of anti-retroviral treatment.
- The HIV treatment involves giving a couple of different drugs in combination, so as to suppress the virus effectively. Over a period of time, the virus starts resisting these drugs tough, so it is required to revise the treatment with stronger drugs. In third-line recovery regimen, new drugs added should have minimum threat of cross-resistance to the regimen used earlier.
Exams Perspective:
- HIV prevalence in India
- Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART)
- NACO
- Third-line recovery