Cipla’s Roche Covid antibody cocktail to cost ~60K
Cipla on Monday said it has launched Swiss multinational drug firm Roche’s antibody cocktail (casrivimab and imdevimab) in India.
The therapy, which is targeted at mild to moderate Covid patients (both adults and children), will cost each patient ~59,750.
The first batch of this therapy is now available, the firm said, and the second batch would be available by mid-june.
“In total, they can potentially benefit 200,000 patients as each of the 100,000 packs that will be available in India offers treatment for two patients,” Cipla said.
The price for each patient dose [a combined dose of 1,200 mg (600 mg of casirivimab and 600 mg of imdevimab)] will be ~59,750, inclusive of taxes. The maximum retail price for the multi-dose pack (each pack can treat two patients) is ~119,500, Cipla said. The vials need to be stored at 2°C
to 8°C. If opened for the first patient’s dose, a vial has to be used for the second patient’s dose within 48 hours, if stored at 2°C to 8°C.
Analysts see this as an upside for Cipla, which already draws around 5 per cent of its domestic turnover from Covid-19 drugs and other products like sanitisers.
“We had factored in revenues of ~400 crore from the Roche antibody
cocktail. However, at this price and assuming coverage for 200,000 patients, we estimate that the revenue from this drug alone could be ~800-1,000 crore,” said a Mumbaibased analyst.
Cipla will distribute the product in India through leading hospitals and Covid treatment centres.
The Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) had recently provided an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the antibody cocktail in India. It has also received an EUA in the US and several EU countries.
“Roche is deeply committed to support the ongoing efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, mitigate the deadly second wave and save lives. We are optimistic that the availability of antibody cocktail in India can help in minimising hospitalisation, ease the burden on health care systems and play a key role in treatment of highrisk patients before their condition worsens,” said V. Simpson Emmanuel, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO), Roche Pharma India.
The antibody cocktail is to be administered for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age or older, weighing at least 40 kg) who are positive and who are at high risk of developing severe Covid.
“It has been shown to help these high-risk patients before their condition worsens, reducing the risk of hospitalisation and fatality by 70 per cent and shortening the duration of symptoms by four days,” the company said.
Casirivimab and imdevimab are human immunoglobulin G-1 (IGG1) monoclonal antibodies produced by recombinant DNA technology in the lab. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses.
“The casirivimab and imdevimab cocktail remains efficacious against the widest spread variants and reduces the risk of losing its neutralisation potency against new emerging variants,” Cipla added.
Monoclonal antibodies mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses. “The casirivimab and imdevimab cocktail remains efficacious against the widest spread variants and reduces the risk of losing its neutralisation potency against new emerging variants,” Cipla added.