Natco Pharma Ltd, the Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company, has announced the launching of Zoldonat (generic name Zoledronic acid), another cancer drug. Natco is second in the world to launch Zoledronic acid injection after Novartis, the patent holder, according to a company statement.

In January this year, Natco had launched Veenat, a cancer drug, used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia. The new drug is meant for the treatment of bone metastases. It can be used for patients with advanced cancer myeloma, breast, prostate, thyroid, bladder, lung, renal and melanoma. Presently, the drug is imported and priced at Rs 13,000 for 4mg injection. But Natco is selling the drug at one-fourth the imported price at Rs 2,800.

The statement said bone metastases was a natural side-effect of several types of cancers including lung, breast, prostate, kidney thyroid and multiple myeloma. The skeletal complications associated with bone metastases included severe bone pain, pathologic fractures, spinal cord or nerve root compression and hypercalcemia of malignancy.

With bone metastases being natural side-effect of several types of cancers, Natco claims that most cancer patients require Zoldonat for prevention and treatment of bone metastases. The yearly course of 12 injections will cost around Rs 33,000 against the cost of the imported injection at around Rs 1,58,000. With the launch of two injections already, the company expects to establish a name in the anti-cancer segment.

"Zoledronic acid is a highly potent, new generation, nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate. It has in vitro and in vivo potency as compared with all other bisphosphonates," the company said.