Beximco Pharmaceuticals PLC. (“Beximco Pharma” or “the Company”) today formally handed over TRIKOâ (a combination of elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor, also known as ETI), the low-cost generic version of the breakthrough cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment Trikaftaâ developed by US-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals, to patients and their representatives from six countries in a ceremony held at the Company’s manufacturing facility in Dhaka. The milestone marks the first time an affordable generic alternative to this life-changing medicine has been made available to CF 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 (NACFC) in Seattle, Washington on 23 October 2025, by a coalition of parents of children living with CF. Today’s ceremony represents Beximco Pharma’s fulfillment of that commitment.
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, approximately 160,000 people worldwide are living with CF, with an estimated 80,000 further cases thought to be undiagnosed, 82% of whom are in low- and middle-income countries.
Trikaftaâ (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor) has transformed treatment outcomes and significantly improves survival rates for CF patients. However, its US list price of $370,000 per year places it beyond the reach of the vast majority of patients globally. Due to patent protection, no generic version is currently available.
Beximco Pharma is headquartered in Bangladesh, a country classified as a Least Developed Country (LDC) by the United Nations. Under the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), LDC member states are exempt from enforcing pharmaceutical patents, providing a legal basis for the Company to manufacture and export generic versions of patented medicines and forms the foundation upon which the initiative was built.
TRIKOâ, Beximco Pharma’s generic version of the combination ETI therapy, is priced at $12,750 per year for adults and $6,375 per year for children, representing a 96% reduction against the US list price of the originator product. At this price point, 58 children can receive treatment for the same cost as treating one child with the branded medicine.
BEXDECOâ, Beximco’s separately launched generic version of ivacaftor, one of the three active components of Trikaftaâ is also available at $5 per tablet, extending access options for patients who require this 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 progressively expand access to the broader global CF community as manufacturing capacity is scaled.
Gayle Pledger, Campaign Lead, Right to Breathe, a CF parent and patient advocate from the United Kingdom, says, “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, says, “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.”