Global Response Aid, FujiFilm, Dr Reddy’s collaborate for potential Covid-19 drug

July 1, 2020: Global Response Aid (GRA) and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories have signed a deal with FujiFilm for global production and distribution of Avigan, an anti-viral drug being tested in several countries as a potential treatment for Covid-19.

Avigan, an influenza anti-viral developed by FujiFilm, comes in pill and IV form and is currently being tested in Japan and elsewhere as a therapeutic to reduce the severity of Covid-19 symptoms and speed the recovery of patients under treatment for the virus.

Under terms of the agreement, FujiFilm will collaborate with GRA and Dr. Reddy’s to manufacture Avigan and distribute, sell and market it around the world. The agreement will increase production volumes and help reach patients faster amid the current pandemic. 

The partnership will eventually cover manufacturing and distribution for markets that are home to 6 billion of the world’s 7.8 billion people. FujiFilm will continue to market Avigan exclusively in Japan, Russia and China. Dr. Reddy’s and GRA will distribute, sell and market Avigan in all other countries globally. 

“If current testing is able to establish Avigan as a safe, effective treatment for Covid-19, we can’t afford to wait before making it available to as many people around the world as possible,” said Tarek Sultan, CEO of Agility. “We need to be producing a high volume of treatment courses and have a distribution network and plan in place so make Avigan available to as many frontline health providers as possible. GRA’s partnership with Dr. Reddy’s and FujiFilm gives us that capability.”  

The agreement calls for GRA and Dr. Reddy’s to manage sales, marketing, regulatory compliance and distribution of Avigan. As an affiliate of Agility, GRA will use the logistics company’s global network. Agility has more than 30 GDP-certified facilities worldwide and is able to provide a full range of logistics services: storage, distribution and transportation to include air freight, ocean freight and road freight.  

Dr. Reddy’s will manufacture the active ingredient and formulation of Avigan, utilising its multiple manufacturing facilities in strategic locations. Agility, a leading global logistics company that established GRA, will provide logistics and distribution services. 

Agility has launched GRA, a Dubai-based company established to procure certified diagnostic, testing and protective products and offer services such as a contact-tracing app and mobile testing used in the detection, treatment and prevention of Covid-19.

GRA works directly with trusted manufacturers around the world to source safe, effective products for governments, health authorities and public institutions; frontline medical facilities such as hospitals and clinics; non-government organizations involved in the Covid-19 fight; and companies looking to safeguard their workers and workplaces.