Dr Reddy’s Laboratories on Wednesday announced that it has entered into a royalty-free, non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly”) for the manufacture and commercialization of the drug Baricitinib in India. The drug Baricitinib has received restricted emergency use approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), for use in combination with Remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 among hospitalised adults requiring supplemental oxygen, invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), the Hyderabad based pharmaceutical giant said.

This partnership comes at a critical juncture in the fight against the increasing Covid-19 caseload in India, as it adds to the company’s existing range of COVID-19 therapeutics covering the full spectrum from mild to moderate and severe conditions of the disease, IBNS said. 

Deepak Sapra, Chief Executive Officer, API and Services, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, said, "From the start, we have been determined to explore every possible avenue against COVID-19. Our collaboration with Lilly will help us make yet another treatment option available to patients in India.”