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BMS grants royalty-free licenses on anti-AIDS drug

    JOHANNESBURG

    Multinational drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has awarded a royalty-free licence of one of its anti-AIDS drugs to two generic drug companies in South Africa and India.

    According to the Associated Press, BMS on Wednesday announced an agreement licensing South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare and India's Emcure Pharmaceuticals to manufacture and sell cheaper generic versions of antiretroviral drug Reyataz, which was approved for use in the US in 2003.

    Under the agreement, BMS was also expected to provide technical training to the elected companies on how to manufacture, test, package, store and handle the drug's active ingredient, atazanavir.

    Other drug companies including Roche and Gilead Sciences had recently announced similar arrangements with India and South Africa.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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