With an eye toward pandemic preparedness, a U.N.-backed agency has signed sub-licensing deals with 11 manufacturers to develop and supply generic versions of Roche's influenza treatment Xofluza. The agreements, brokered by the Medicines Patent Pool, allow the companies to operate in 129 countries, covering nearly all low- and middle-income markets.
The manufacturers will gain access to technical data, reference products for bioequivalence studies, and other support intended to help secure regulatory approval in those countries. This is the latest effort to widen access to a needed medication for poorer nations, a goal that often forces drugmakers to balance financial priorities against making medicines affordable to the largest number of patients.
This report is based on a single source, STAT's Pharmalot column, so there are no differing accounts to compare. The source does not specify financial terms or a timeline for when generic versions might reach the market.