GENEVA, 2 FEBRUARY 2012: Emcure Pharmaceuticals, a key supplier of generic antiretroviral medicines in developing countries, has signed an agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool for the manufacture of several new HIV medicines for sale in developing countries, it was announced today.

Emcure will be able to manufacture several products licensed to the Pool by Gilead Sciences, including: emtricitabine (FTC), cobicistat (COBI), elvitegravir (EVG), and the fixed-dose combination of these medicines known as the Quad (a combination of FTC, COBI, EVG and tenofovir).

“Generic manufacturers play a central role in providing low cost HIV medicines and have helped increase the number of people receiving treatment in the developing world, so the rapid uptake of our licences by generic companies is a positive sign,” said Ellen ‘t Hoen, Executive Director of the Pool. Emcure is the third generic manufacturer to take licences from the Pool.
“Emcure is excited about expanding our HIV portfolio by joining the Medicines Patent Pool, an innovative way to speed access to HIV drugs,” said Arun Khanna, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of Emcure.

Emcure is a top-15 company in the Indian pharmaceutical market and sells its products in over 76 countries across Asia, Africa, CIS, Europe, USA, Latin America and the Middle East. Emcure has an over 12-year track record producing medicines for HIV, which it currently sells in over 40 countries.

The Medicines Patent Pool, founded with the support of UNITAID in 2010, aims to bring down the prices of HIV medicines, and stimulate the development of needed new formulations, through access-oriented voluntary licences. The Pool’s voluntary licences are negotiated to maximise their public health impact, and the full terms and conditions of each licence agreement are made public on the Pool’s website.