In a major effort to provide high quality affordable drugs to the cancer patients in the country, Biocon has now introduced Abraxane for breast cancer after failure of combination therapy. The drug, which is a paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injection suspension albumin-bound particles of approximately 130 nanometers is priced at $400 as against the current US price of $1,000 making it cheaper by 60 percent for scores of breast cancer patients.

Abraxane is now available as a single dose 100mg vial as a lyophilized powder to be reconstituted for intravenous administration and recommended to cases where breast cancer has relapsed after six months of adjuvant therapy.

As part of its major game plan to increase the portfolio of products in the bio-pharma space, Biocon has inked licensing pact with the US-based Abraxis BioScience. To begin with, Abraxane is being launched. Another product close on the heels for a possible India launch is Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Discussions to launch more products are on. Under the terms of the agreement, Biocon can market Abraxane in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and select South Asian and Persian Gulf countries. The drug has several pending patent applications in India.

Since 2001, India has been a part of the global trial programme for Abraxane and the data was used by the company for approval of the drug from USFDA, stated Dr. Neil Desai, vice president, research and development, Abraxis BioScience.

The studies have proved that the drug has a 43 per cent success rate and 50 per cent positive response indication and as a first line of treatment the response was as high as 64 per cent, explained Dr. Desai.

There are 120 trials in progress and going to commence with Abraxane for other cancers.

Abraxane is a solvent-free chemotherapy treatment option developed using Abraxis BioScience's proprietary nab technology platform. Abraxane is a protein-bound chemotherapy agent, which combines paclitaxel with albumin, a naturally-occurring human protein, to deliver the drug and eliminate the need for solvents in the administration process. Because solvents are eliminated, the drug allows for the delivery of a 49 per cent higher dose compared to solvent-based paclitaxel (Taxol) without compromising safety and tolerability. It is administered in 30 minutes as compared to three hours for solvent-based paclitaxel.

Present market for the oncology drugs is estimated at Rs. 1500-1800 crore and this particular segment of paclitaxel drugs is valued around Rs. 80-100 crore. Biocon expects to garner Rs. 10 crore revenues in a year and is looking to make it a Rs. 100 crore product over the next three years, stated Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman and managing director Biocon.

In the US, since January 2005, Abraxane generated annual sales of $125 million. In 2006, revenues garnered was $179 million and the following year earning from the drug doubled to $325 million. In the Q1 of 2008, the drug posted sales of $80 million. The cumulated sales value of Abraxane is $750 million and is inching closer to become a blockbuster drug ($ 1 billion).

India reports one lakh new cases of breast cancer annually. It is the second largest fatal cancer after cervical cancer in the country. The annual age-adjusted rate (AAR) varies between the urban and rural areas. In the urban areas, the AAR is 21.9 to 28.3 per 100,000, whereas in rural areas, it is 8.6 per 100,000.