Licensing deal for cancer drug will increase access in low and middle income countries

More people in low and middle income countries will have access to nilotinib to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) following an agreement allowing companies to manufacture a generic version of the drug.The voluntary licensing agreement between Novartis and the Medicines Patent Pool, a United Nations backed public health organisation, is the first such agreement for a cancer drug.1Nilotinib is a second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is given as a twice daily oral medication to patients who are resistant or intolerant to the first line treatment imatinib.The drug is listed on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines for the treatment of adults and children over the age of one with CML.Through the agreement, selected manufacturers will have the opportunity to develop, manufacture, and supply generic versions of nilotinib. The licence includes seven middle income countries—Egypt, Guatemala, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tunisia—where patents on the product are…
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