Cipla Uncorks Peptide Injectables Pipeline, Eyes Partnering For Monkeypox

Cipla has indicated its interest in partnering opportunities for drugs to address the spread of monkeypox and is also looking at potential repurposing options.

Cipla’s global CEO and managing director, Umang Vohra said that company was speaking to “a few people and partners” on potential partnering opportunities.

“We'll see what comes out of that,” the executive said in response to Scrip’s specific queries on partnering interest either for monkeypox treatments or diagnostics at a press briefing to discuss Q1FY23 earnings.

Vohra, though, observed that unlike COVID-19, the sequelae of monkeypox is understood relatively well, but the emergency associated with it is not at the “same place and the same speed” with which the COVID pandemic unfolded. Infection with the monkeypox virus, part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, which causes smallpox, has been spreading in several countries including the US.

So far the products approved for monkeypox in the EU are Bavarian Nordic A/S’s smallpox vaccine, Imvanex, ( the US approved version is Jynneos) and SIGA Technologies, Inc’ antiviral, Tecovirimat SIGA (tecovirimat) that got the go-ahead to treat the disease in January. (Also see "EMA To Track Monkeypox Medicines Stock & Boost Emergency Task Force Output" - Pink Sheet, 27 July, 2022.)

Cipla had earlier introduced one of the widest portfolios of COVID-19 therapies in India, bolstered by a string of alliances with big pharma firms including Gilead Sciences, Inc.. (for remdesivir), Merck & Co., Inc. (molnupiravir), Eli Lilly and Company (baricitanib) and Roche  (antibody cocktail casirivimab and imdevimab).

On the diagnostics side, the firm had moved quickly into the COVID-19 segment, commercializing among other products a polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test kit in India in alliance with Ubio Biotechnology Systems Pvt. Ltd. It remains to be seen if monekypox could present similar opportunities.

Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently sought an expression of interest (EOI) from “experienced” vaccine manufacturers/ pharma companies/ R&D institutions/In-vitro diagnostic kit- makers for a joint collaboration to develop a vaccine candidate against monkeypox disease. The EOI also covers the development of diagnostic kits for the infection.

ICMR’s National Institute of Virology, Pune, has isolated the monkeypox virus, which is being propagated on specific cell lines under the biosafety laboratory conditions. “These isolates were further purified and characterized. Tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) has been estimated and bulk propagation of the virus stock has been achieved,” the institute said on 27 July.

Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (SII) was alongside also reported by the Press Trust of India as being in talks with Bavarian Nordic for a potential alliance to import small volumes of the Danish firm’s vaccine depending on availability. SII, though, said that the Indian government would have to eventually decide the course for importing large quantities.