Novartis grants Tasigna rights to MPP for generics in LMIC countries

Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) has entered into a voluntary licensing agreement for its chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) drug with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), agreeing to the production of generics in low-and-middle income countries.

The MPP announced on the side-lines of the World Cancer Congress that the accord would increase access to nilotinib, a twice daily oral medicine used to treat CML, part of the World Health Organization Model List of Essential Medicines (WHO EML), for the treatment in adults and children of at least one year of age.

Marketed as Tasigna, the drug generated sales of $2.1 billion for Novartis last year.