Fidson Healthcare, the Nigerian pharmaceutical company founded by businessman Fidelis Ayebae, has been selected as one of 11 manufacturers to develop and produce a generic version of Roche’s influenza medicine, baloxavir marboxil.
The selection was made under a voluntary licensing agreement between Roche and the Medicines Patent Pool, a United Nations backed public health organisation. Fidson is the only Nigerian manufacturer among the companies selected across nine countries, including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Uganda, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Brandspur Brand News reports that the agreement will allow Fidson to develop, manufacture and supply generic baloxavir in 129 countries covered by the licence, subject to regulatory approval. The selected manufacturers will also receive technical information, reference products and other support needed for development, testing and regulatory submissions.
The arrangement is intended to expand access to influenza treatment while strengthening pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity ahead of future health emergencies. By distributing production among manufacturers in different regions, the Medicines Patent Pool said the initiative is designed to create more resilient supply routes and reduce dependence on concentrated sources of medicine during a crisis.
Fidson’s participation also gives the Nigerian drugmaker a route into a wider international supply network. However, the selection does not mean the generic medicine is immediately available for sale. Fidson must complete the required development and regulatory processes, and the licence prohibits sales or supply of the licensed product before regulatory approval.
The baloxavir agreement follows a licence signed by Roche and the Medicines Patent Pool in May 2026 to expand access to the antiviral in low and middle income countries. The medicine is a single dose treatment for influenza and has been recommended by the World Health Organisation, while the licensing framework is intended to support both seasonal influenza treatment and pandemic preparedness.
For Fidson, the development represents another stage in a transformation that began when Ayebae founded the company in 1995 as a pharmaceutical distributor. The business later moved into importing medicines under its own brands before establishing local manufacturing operations in 2002.
That manufacturing shift became a significant part of Fidson’s history. In 2005, the company became the first in Nigeria and sub Saharan Africa to manufacture antiretroviral medicines locally, according to the supplied company history.
Ayebae’s background was outside medicine. He studied civil engineering before obtaining an advanced diploma in business administration from the University of Lagos. He previously worked at Nigeria International Bank, later Citibank Nigeria, and Metalum Limited before establishing Fidson.
The latest Roche licensing arrangement puts that manufacturing base into a global public health initiative focused not only on access to influenza treatment but also on preparing production capacity before another major health emergency emerges.
Under the agreement, the manufacturers were selected through an open process based on their technical and regulatory capabilities and their commitment to producing quality assured medicines. The Medicines Patent Pool said the combination of global and regional manufacturers is intended to bring production closer to the populations that need the medicines while strengthening supply resilience.
For Nigeria, Fidson’s inclusion places a local pharmaceutical manufacturer among a group of companies being positioned to contribute to a broader international response to influenza and future pandemic risks.
