MSN Labs has entered into a royalty-free, non-exclusive, voluntary license agreement with the US-based Eli Lilly and Co for manufacturing and marketing of baricitinib in India.
The drug baricitinib has been granted a restricted emergency use approval in India by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization for emergency use 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).
“This collaboration with Eli Lilly and Co is a landmark milestone in India’s fight against Covid-19 and will thus help in increasing the availability and affordability of baricitinib,'' MSN Reddy, CMD – MSN Group said in a release on Thursday.
Hyderabad-based MSN will be launching the product under the brand name BARIDOZ in two strengths-2 mg and 4mg. MSN has developed the active pharmaceutical ingredient and the formulation of baricitinib in its in-house R&D and manufacturing units.
As part of the Covid treatment range, MSN has already launched Favilow (Favipiravir) and Oselow (Oseltamivir).