Shares of Sanofi India Ltd and Cipla Ltd were trading 5.4% and 1.6% higher on 27 March after the companies announced signing a distribution agreement for Sanofi’s line of products for the central nervous system.

For the exclusive distribution and marketing of Sanofi’s Central Nervous System (CNS) product line in India, Sanofi India Limited, Sanofi Healthcare India Private Limited, and Cipla Limited announced their exclusive agreement.

Cipla will distribute Sanofi India’s six CNS brands, including Frisium, a top brand in the anti-epileptic drug category.

Cipla will use its resources and the network of distributors, institutions, and marketing and sales professionals that span India to increase access to these treatments for patients who require them. At the same time, Sanofi India will continue to own, import, and manufacture its entire range of CNS products across plants in India and abroad.

The regulatory authorities have approved the merger of Cipla Technologies LLC with Cipla USA Inc, a fully owned step-down subsidiary of the Indian firm in the US.

While CipTec develops speciality goods for the US market, Cipla USA handles the distribution of pharmaceutical items in the US.

As of 1 April, Rajeev Kumar Sinha, currently the Global Head of Formulations Manufacturing, has been named a member of the company’s senior management team and its global chief manufacturing officer.

At 1:56 pm, Sanofi India’s shares were trading 2.7% higher at Rs 7,918.80, and Cipla’s shares were trading 0.45% higher at Rs 1,478.90 on the NSE.