Fidson Healthcare Plc, the Lagos-based drugmaker founded by Nigerian businessman Fidelis Ayebae, has been selected by the Medicines Patent Pool as a sublicensee for baloxavir marboxil, a single-dose oral antiviral used to treat influenza A and B. The agreement gives Fidson a role in expanding access to the medicine across developing markets.

Under a voluntary licensing agreement between the Medicines Patent Pool and Roche, Fidson will be able to develop and distribute accessible versions of baloxavir marboxil in 129 low- and middle-income countries. The selection was announced Sept. 25 at a United Nations General Assembly side event in New York, widening Fidson’s reach beyond Nigeria.

The deal also adds weight to Fidson’s position among African pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company had a market capitalization of about N246 billion ($185 million) at the time of the report. Fidson said the selection reflects the manufacturing standards and capabilities it has built while highlighting the role African drugmakers can play in global health preparedness.

Fidson gains global reach

“For us, this is more than a licensing agreement,” Fidson said. “It is recognition of the standards we have built, the capabilities we have invested in, and the role we believe African pharmaceutical manufacturers must play in shaping global health access and pandemic readiness.” The company said work on the program will continue.

Fidson was founded in 1995 by Ayebae and has spent three decades building a position in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry. In 2005, the company became West Africa’s first producer of antiretroviral drugs, marking a significant step in the region’s capacity to manufacture medicines used in the fight against HIV.

The company has also been investing in new manufacturing capacity. In September 2024, Fidson announced a $100 million investment in a new facility at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s health care self-sufficiency, particularly in the production of medicines used to treat HIV.

Growth follows expansion

That expansion has been accompanied by strong financial growth. Fidson’s profit rose 124.68 percent to N9.88 billion ($7.34 million) in 2025 from N4.4 billion ($3.27 million) a year earlier. Revenue increased 41.42 percent to N119.06 billion ($88.45 million) from 84.19 billion naira ($56.84 million), driven by higher ethical drug sales.

Ethical-product revenue climbed to N77 billion ($57.74 million) from N55 billion ($37.14 million), while over-the-counter drug sales rose to N36.37 billion ($26.98 million) from N26.38 billion ($17.81 million). Ayebae, who owns 39.39 percent of Fidson, received N1.36 billion ($1.01 million) in dividends earlier this year.

The baloxavir license allows Fidson to scale its manufacturing base as resilient supply chains and pandemic preparedness dominate global health policy. For the Lagos-listed drugmaker, the agreement anchors domestic production capacity within an international procurement framework, clearing a path to supply the critical antiviral across dozens of developing markets.