Pakistan’s Ferozsons to manufacture US-based Gilead's HIV prevention drug

Ferozsons Laboratories has been added as a licensee in US-based Gilead Sciences' widened royalty-free arrangement for lenacapavir, an HIV prevention drug still under investigation. Business Recorder reported that the Pakistani drug maker told the Pakistan Stock Exchange about the deal in a notice on Thursday.

The expanded arrangement covers 120 high-incidence countries, mostly low and lower-middle income economies, and is designed to support manufacturing preparation, technology transfer and supply planning while the Phase 3 PURPOSE 365 trial continues. Ferozsons said the once-yearly version, if approved, could offer a year of protection against HIV from one dose. The company added that the twice-yearly form is already approved in several countries for PrEP.

Under the non-exclusive license, Ferozsons can make and sell a licensed generic version in those countries once regulatory approvals are obtained, and it will receive a technology transfer of Gilead's manufacturing process to scale up output. The injectable product will be made at its JV subsidiary BF Biosciences under a contract manufacturing agreement, while the oral variant will be produced and sold directly by Ferozsons.