Lupin launched Hyalgan, an osteoarthritis drug, available in the form of an injectable. The drug has been test marketed by Lupin over the six months across India.
Hyalgan is a natural liquid injected into the knee to relieve pain caused due to osteosrthritis and is recommended for patients in stage 1 to 3 of osteoarthritis to relieve the acute pain. The drug can also delay the progression of the disease. Hyalgan is the original research molecule of the Italian pharma giant FIDIA and is the world leader in HA therapy, marketed in over 60 countries globally.
The market for osteoarthritis is currently pegged at Rs 150 crore.
Kamal Sharma, managing director, Lupin said, "We are focussed on addressing and targeting niche markets and therapeutic segments where there is an unmet patient need." Lupin's India region formulations business has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23 per cent over the last four years.
Shakti Chakraborty, president - India Region Formulations, Lupin said, "Hyalgan is a quality and affordably priced drug, making it extremely well positioned to cater to and provide value to patients in India."
India has the second largest osteoarthritis patient base - over 15 million, women form a large chunk of this population. By 2011, India is estimated to have 66 million in the high risk segment for osteoarthritis.