Beximco Pharma hands over low-cost generic cystic fibrosis drug to patients

Beximco Pharmaceuticals PLC, also known as Beximco Pharma, has handed over TRIKO, its low-cost generic version of the cystic fibrosis drug Trikafta, to patients and their representatives from six countries.

The medicine, a combination of elexacaftor, tezacaftor and ivacaftor, also known as ETI, was handed over at a ceremony held at the company's manufacturing facility in Dhaka.

Beximco Pharma said the milestone marked the first time an affordable generic alternative to the treatment, developed by US-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals, had been made available to cystic fibrosis patients globally.

The event was attended by selected patients and their representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Qatar, South Africa and Bangladesh, alongside representatives from the UK-based patient advocacy group Right to Breathe and leading journalists in Bangladesh, among others.

The initiative was publicly announced at the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Seattle, Washington, on 23 October, 2025, by a coalition of parents of children living with cystic fibrosis. The Dhaka ceremony marked Beximco Pharma's fulfilment of that commitment.

Cystic fibrosis, or CF, is a rare but life-threatening genetic disorder characterised by the build-up of thick mucus in the lungs and digestive system, severely impairing respiratory function.

Until recently, the disease was associated with death in early adulthood. Today, around 160,000 people worldwide are living with CF, while an estimated 80,000 further cases are thought to be undiagnosed, 82% of them in low- and middle-income countries, according to the release.

Trikafta® has transformed treatment outcomes and significantly improved survival rates for CF patients. However, its US list price of $370,000 a year places it beyond the reach of most patients globally. Due to patent protection, no generic version is currently available in many markets, the release said.

Beximco Pharma is headquartered in Bangladesh, a country classified as a Least Developed Country by the United Nations. Under the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Least Developed Country member states are exempt from enforcing pharmaceutical patents.

Beximco Pharma said this exemption provides the legal basis for the company to manufacture and export generic versions of patented medicines, forming the foundation of the initiative.

TRIKO®, Beximco Pharma's generic version of the ETI combination therapy, is priced at $12,750 a year for adults and $6,375 a year for children, representing a 96% reduction from the US list price of the originator product.

At this price, 58 children can receive treatment for the same cost as treating one child with the branded medicine, the company said.

BEXDECO®, Beximco Pharma's separately launched generic version of ivacaftor, one of the three active components of Trikafta®, is also available at $5 per tablet, extending access options for patients who require the component as a standalone therapy.

For the initial period following launch, supply will be managed on a named-patient basis through the CF Buyers' Club, with plans to gradually expand access to the broader global CF community as manufacturing capacity is scaled up.

Gayle Pledger, Campaign Lead, Right to Breathe, a CF parent and patient advocate from the United Kingdom, said, "Access to life-saving treatment is a fundamental human right. Currently available breakthrough medicines are prohibitively expensive, keeping such treatments beyond the reach of CF patients around the world. Beximco Pharma has played a commendable role by responding to the requests of CF patients and advocacy groups globally and has done so on purely humanitarian grounds."

Rabbur Reza, Chief Operating Officer, Beximco Pharma, said, "At Beximco Pharma, we have always sought to address the unmet medical needs of patients, particularly in therapy areas characterised by severely limited access. We are deeply proud to be part of this meaningful initiative. We believe that access to this life-saving treatment will have a truly transformative impact on the thousands of patients living with CF who are currently deprived of treatment due to the significant cost burden."