Biocon’s renal transplantation immunosuppressant drug, everolimus with brand name, Advacan is priced 45 per cent lower than the innovator brand, ‘Certican’ of Novartis. The drug now is being prescribed to 180 patients since its launch 210 days ago, according to the company.
Advacan is a relatively less nephrotoxic renal transplantation immunosuppressant drug. The company is the first to synthesize and commercialize the generic version of everolimus globally, stated Dr V S Ashok Krishna, Medical Affairs, Nephrology Division, Biocon Limited.
Novartis introduced everolimus under the brand name Certican in 2005 and had a monopoly status with the drug until Biocon entered the space.
The market size for everolimus is estimated at Rs.9 crore in India. There are 5,000 patients who annually undergo renal transplant in the country.
Biocon launched a dedicated nephrology division in March 2007, coinciding with the World Kidney Day. Now the company has 10 products in the nephrology portfolio, out of which six are immunosuppresants and four are dialysis drugs. The products include Renodapt (Mycophenolate Mofetil), Tactograf (Tacrolimus), Cyclophil ME (Cyclosporine Micro Emulsion USP), Rapacan (Sirolimus) and Erypro (rHuEPO).
Biocon Ltd has been manufacturing and marketing Tacrolimus, Mycophenolate Mofetil and Sirolimus that are used in renal transplantation, along with Epoeitin Alpha which is used in the management of renal anaemia. In addition, it is also marketing other immunosuppresants like Cyclosporine which is also used in organ transplantation. In the management of chronic kidney disease associated hyperphosphetemia, it has two drugs Sevelamer and Cinacalcet. In addition, it also has a nutritional supplement, Narita Plus for patients undergoing haemodialysis. “Currently most of the Biocon brands 20 – 30 per cent economical compared to the innovator brands,” stated Dr Krishna.
The company is also engaged in clinical trials as part of the post marketing assessment. Going by the increasing number of cases suffering from renal diseases, its nephrology division has promoting educative programs among the nephrologists. Recently it conducted two symposia on ‘Optimizing the renal anaemia management’ and ‘Use of PSIs in renal transplantation’. These programmes were conducted by a team of senior nephrology faculty from India and abroad.