Dr Reddy's Laboratories on Monday said it has expanded its partnership with Sanofi Healthcare to introduce a novel drug for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease in newborns.
The company plans to introduce Beyfortus, which contains the monoclonal antibody, nirsevimab, in a prefilled injection used for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus or RSV lower respiratory tract disease or LRTD in newborns and infants.
The medication is also administered in children up to 24 months of age, who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease through their second RSV season.
RSV is a highly contagious virus that can lead to serious respiratory illness in infants.
Under the arrangement, Dr Reddy's will have exclusive rights from Sanofi to promote and distribute Beyfortus in India, the Hyderabad-based drugmaker said in a statement.
The announcement follows Dr Reddy's successful exclusive distribution partnership with Sanofi for their portfolio of vaccines in India last year.
Dr Reddy's is expected to launch Beyfortus in India in the second quarter of the current fiscal year.
"Beyfortus enables the access of healthcare professionals and parents to an improved drug in the prevention of RSV," Dr Reddy's Laboratories CEO Branded Markets (India and Emerging Markets) MV Ramana said.
Bringing Beyfortus to India is a pivotal step in the company's mission to protect every child from immunisation preventable diseases like RSV, Nitya Padmanabhan, Head of Sanofi Vaccines (India), said.
Beyfortus has been approved for use in the European Union, the US, China, Japan, and many other countries around the world.
In India, it received marketing authorisation approval in June last year from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation or CDSCO.
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