Hetero to sell the world’s only generic Covid pill at ₹5,000 per course

Hyderabad-based Hetero Drugs, which became the first generic company in the world to get World Health Organisation Prequalification of Medicines Programme (WHOPQ) approval for the generic version of Pfizer's Covid-19 oral tablet Paxlovid, is likely to sell the product at less than ₹5,000 per treatment course in India.

Sources tell Fortune India the company is likely to launch its brand ‘Nirmacom’ within 2-3 weeks and sales will be restricted to hospitals and for government purchases in the initial stage to prevent misuse of the drug procured through private pharmacy and online channels. Several reports say many traders in China are now illegally importing India-made generic Covid-19 pills to make a killing from the ongoing pandemic in that country.

The drug is a combination of antiviral drugs nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. Five strips of 30 tablets in total –- Nirmatrelvir 150 mg (2 tablets) and Ritonavir 100mg (1 tablet) – is prescribed twice a day for five days.

The pill brought in over $17 billion for Pfizer in the first three quarters of 2022, including $5.7 billion in the third quarter. Pfizer expects Paxlovid to contribute roughly $22 billion in 2022.

The United States had bought nearly 24 million Paxlovid courses from Pfizer at around $530 (about ₹43,920) a course. Under license from Pfizer, Paxlovid was launched in September in India by Hyderabad-based Zenara Pharma, with the brand name Paxzen and with a price tag of ₹5,200 a box.

In March, in a licensing arrangement with Pfizer, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) had signed agreements with 35 companies globally to manufacture the generic version of Paxlovid to be supplied in 95 low-and middle-income countries. This included 19 Indian drug makers like Torrent Pharma, Cadila Pharma, Hetero, Biocon, Strides, Glenmark, Emcure, Granules, Macleods, Sun Pharma, and Cipla.

“WHO Prequalification for Niracom is a significant milestone in the fight against Covid-19 as it allows us to expand access to this important innovative antiretroviral drug to people in need," said Dr Vamsi Krishna Bandi, managing director, Hetero Group of Companies. According to Charles Gore, executive director of MPP, quality assurance approval from WHO is an impressive achievement from Hetero as they announced the sublicence agreements just nine months ago.

Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir) was developed to be administered orally so that it can be prescribed early after infection, potentially helping patients avoid severe illness (which can lead to hospitalisation and death). The drug blocks the activity of Mpro, an enzyme that the coronavirus needs to replicate. Co-administration with a low dose of ritonavir helps slow the metabolism, or breakdown, of Nirmatrelvir in order for it to remain active in the body for longer periods of time at higher concentrations to help combat the virus.