Under the agreement, Desano will manufacture the API of dolutegravir before it’s fed into the GSK/ViiV supply chain for future sale in China and other unnamed developing countries. ViiV and Desano are also exploring further options for the manufacture of finished drug products and fixed dose combinations of dolutegravir with APIs.
The partnership marks an important step for GSK in improving its relations with China after the company in September 2014 was fined about $480m for bribing Chinese doctors.
The dolutegravir API will be manufactured at one of Shanghai-based Desano’s three Chinese API manufacturing sites, and will allow ViiV to offer a competitive supply of the finished product for China and other developing countries, subject to national approvals.
"With our recent agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool and our other access initiatives this deal is aligned with our ongoing commitment to improve access to our medicines in countries where the need is greatest," said Dr Dominique Limet, CEO of ViiV Healthcare.