Zydus to launch immunosupressant drug Grafalon

Ahmedabad-headquartered Zydus group has entered into an in-licensing agreement with Switzerland-based biopharma company Neovii, to launch Grafalon, an immunosuppresant extensively used in solid organ transplants and stem cell transplant, in India.

The market for transplant-immuno therapies is estimated at Rs 483 crore.

Neovii has been working for over three decades on transplantation medicine, hemato-oncological and immune disorders.

Zydus group will market this therapy through Zydus Trans-immune, a division that offers a range of therapies related to transplant medicine. With the inclusion of Grafalon, Zydus Trans-immune emerges as a major player in the transplant-immuno therapy segment.

Organ transplantation is the most preferred option for patients with end-stage organ failure since both survival and quality of life are superior as compared to patients who live without transplantation. However, one of the major challenges in organ transplantation is graft rejection. In most cases, transplant rejection occurs when transplanted tissue is rejected by the recipient's immune system, which destroys the transplanted tissue. Likewise, stem cell transplantation remains a key treatment option for those suffering from haematological conditions, including malignancies. Transplant outcomes can be improved significantly by the use of immunosuppressant drugs.

 

Grafalon (formerly commercialised as ATG Fresenius) is used as a part of immunosuppressive regimens (induction protocol) for the prevention and treatment of rejection in solid organ transplantation, prevention of graft versus host disease in stem cell transplantation. More than 200,000 patients till date, in over 50 countries, have been treated with Grafalon.

Currently, an estimated 10,000 solid organ transplant & stem cell transplants are taking place annually across 200 plus transplant centres in India.