GlaxoSmithKline-Pfizer joint venture announces manufacturing partnership

GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer have revealed plans to launch manufacturing operations in Russia for their joint venture ViiV.

The companies have agreed a partnership with local firm Binnopharm to begin the local secondary manufacture of drugs for ViiV, which was set up in November 2009 to work on new HIV treatments.

According to a report from InPharm, ViiV will supply bulk drug materials to Binnopharm for packaging, focusing initially on the Combivir, Kivexa and Epivir brands.

The Russian company is based in Zelenograd near Moscow and also has manufacturing agreements in place with other foreign pharmaceutical firms, including Belgian group UCB.

Under an existing agreement, Binnopharm already handles the secondary manufacture of several GlaxoSmithKline vaccine products in Russia, including Cervarix for cervical cancer, Rotarix for rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccine Synflorix.

Earlier this year, GlaxoSmithKline's chief strategy officer David Redfern was appointed chairman of the board at ViiV, having played a key role in the creation of the joint venture.