The Rs 194 crore research-based Glenmark Pharmaceutical Ltd has tied up with Biobras of Brazil and Ambalal Sarabhai Group for marketing insulin products in India. Biobras is the world's third largest manufacturer of human and porcine insulin.

Glenmark is the only company to launch their human insulin range in 5 ml vials of 40 IU per ml for the first time in India. It launched human and animal insulin vials through their new anti-diabetic division "Healtheon" on July 30. The products are Insunorm, Human Insunorm, Insulong NPH, Human Insulong NPH, Insulink, Human Insulink, Insulong-Z and Human Insulong-Z.

Says A S Mohanty, Vice-President (Sales & Marketing) "Insulins available today are of 10 ml vials, thus the 5 ml insulin vial will be advantageous to patients who require insulin for a short period of time and are shifted back to oral drugs, resulting in lesser wastage."

Started in 1978, Glenmark Pharmaceutical Limited has been named the fastest growing pharmaceutical company by ORG-MARG (Dec, 2000) and is the market leader in dermatology and cough (Candid B and Ascoril).

Insulin treatment is mandatory for type 1 diabetes. The insulin market is growing at 30 per cent. The diabetes segment has a turnover of Rs 400 crore of which Rs 66 crore is the annual insulin market.

The company also held free diabetes detection camps in nine cities - Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Chennai, Patna, Lucknow and Ahmedabad. They hosted a roundtable of doctors to discuss the errors in insulin therapy and insulin in combination with other oral agents.

Diabetes is caused by a shortage of insulin in the body. India has the highest cases of diabetes in the world. Currently the figure stands at 20 million and is expected to rise to 60 million by 2025. It is not a wonder, given the rising stress levels and the fact that Indians are predisposed to diabetes because of a gene called Thrifty gene. Earlier diabetes was mainly confined to the urban regions, which is fast spreading to the rural parts. Diabetes can be treated by oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA) and by usage of insulin injections, which reduce blood sugar level in the body.