Eli Lilly, EVA Pharma collaborate to expand access to baricitinib in low- to middle-income countries

Accord to the release, this collaboration is part of the Lilly 30x30 initiative, which aims to improve access to quality health care for 30 million people living in resource-limited settings annually by 2030.

"Our commitment to expanding access to affordable and innovative medicines for people living in low- to middle-income countries continues," said Ilya Yuffa, executive vice president and president of Lilly International. "Following our collaboration with EVA Pharma on insulin manufacturing, we are now establishing the first of its kind voluntary licensing agreement for Lilly, where the company will provide certain baricitinib manufacturing know-how to enable EVA Pharma to manufacture and supply baricitinib to people in 49 countries across Africa."

"We are proud to localize the entire value chain of this critical medication on the continent, from producing high-potency baricitinib active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), to tackling complex manufacturing challenges," said Riad Armanious, CEO of EVA Pharma.

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EVA Pharma's high-containment facility is set to begin sales of the locally manufactured baricitinib by 2026 to various African countries.   

Since 2021, EVA Pharma has been working with Lilly to ensure a sustainable supply of life-saving medicines across several African countries. Lilly and EVA Pharma are also collaborating to expand access to affordable insulin in 56 countries, most of which are low- to middle-income, as announced in 2022.