Bristol-Myers Grants AIDS Drug Licenses

By THERESA AGOVINO

NEW YORK – Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. is set to announce on Wednesday that it has granted two generic drug makers royalty-free licenses to make and sell its latest AIDS drug in sub-Saharan Africa and India.

The company granted South African company Aspen PharmaCare the rights to manufacture and sell atazanavir, which is called Reyataz in the United States, in sub-Saharan Africa. Emcure Pharmaceuticals, which is based in India, has the rights in that country. Under the agreement, Bristol-Myers will also provide technical training to the companies so they learn how to manufacture, test, package, store and handle the drug’s active ingredient.

Reyataz was approved in the United States in 2003, and last year its sales totaled $696 million.

Bristol-Myers does sell Reyataz at no profit sub-Saharan Africa as it does its other two AIDS medications. It didn’t include those medications in this deal because generic versions are already available.

Reyataz is not available in India.

Bristol-Myers said by giving local companies the rights and knowledge to make drugs locally it will expand supply. The company couldn’t say if the price charged by Aspen would be less than its price.

Other drug companies including Roche Holding Ltd. and Gilead Sciences Inc. have recently announced similar arrangements.