In a significant advancement for infant healthcare in India, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (NYSE: RDY) (NSE: DRREDDY) has officially launched Beyfortus® (nirsevimab), a novel preventive treatment for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in infants. This launch follows the April 2025 announcement of their expanded partnership with Sanofi Healthcare India Private Limited that granted Dr. Reddy’s exclusive rights to promote and distribute the drug in India.
Addressing an Underreported Health Crisis
According to paediatric experts, RSV causes nearly two-thirds of respiratory infections in infants, yet cases are significantly underreported in India despite being a notifiable disease for decades. A representative of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, highlighted the severity of the issue, pointing to 2,000+ reported child deaths in 2024 from just Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, describing it as merely “the tip of the iceberg.”
Medical experts emphasized at a recent roundtable that almost every child contracts RSV by age two. The virus begins with cold-like symptoms but can rapidly develop into a severe lung infection requiring hospitalization within just three days. While many children recover without complications, doctors noted there’s no reliable way to predict which infants might develop serious conditions such as pneumonia or bronchiolitis.
Strategic Significance in Dr. Reddy’s Growth Portfolio
The Beyfortus® launch represents a key milestone in Dr. Reddy’s dual-track growth strategy, which focuses on both strengthening core businesses and building new value pools through strategic partnerships. According to the company’s FY2025 Integrated Annual Report, vaccines have been a significant driver of Dr. Reddy’s India business growth, which outpaced the Indian Pharmaceutical Market (IPM) at 8.4% versus 8.0% market growth.
Expanding Strategic Partnership Ecosystem
The Beyfortus® distribution agreement builds upon Dr. Reddy’s successful vaccine partnership with Sanofi established in 2024 as part of its strategy of “expanding innovation and building for tomorrow.”
This is part of a broader strategy of high-value collaborations to bring innovation to India that the company has been pursuing, including:
- A venture with Nestlé India to bring science-backed nutraceuticals to consumers
- Collaboration with Gilead Sciences to bring HIV drug Lenacapavir to low and lower-middle-income nations
- A licensing agreement with Takeda to introduce Vonoprazan, a novel acid blocker for treating gastric disorders in India
- Launch of Toripalimab (Zytorvi), the first immuno-oncology drug approved for nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment in India
- Partnership with Bayer for marketing Vericiguat™, expanding Dr. Reddy’s cardiovascular medicine portfolio
Enhancing Prevention for a Critical Health Need
As highlighted in the medical roundtable discussions, RSV represents a significant health threat to infants in India, with routine testing and awareness around RSV remaining low despite the scale of the problem. The introduction of Beyfortus® addresses this critical gap in infant healthcare by providing a novel preventive option that can significantly reduce hospitalizations and complications.
With Beyfortus® already approved for use in the European Union, the U.S., China, Japan, and many other countries around the world, its introduction in India represents an important step in aligning the country’s preventive healthcare measures with global standards.
The launch positions Dr. Reddy’s to capitalize on growing awareness of RSV’s impact and increasing demand for preventive treatments in pediatric care. This launch aligns perfectly with the company’s stated philosophy of “Good Health Can’t Wait” and its commitment to addressing unmet patient needs by making expensive medicines affordable and accessible as well as improving disease management.
This article was originally published on thefinanceherald.com
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