AstraZeneca, Mankind Pharma sign pact to distribute asthma medicine

AstraZeneca Pharma India Ltd and Mankind Pharma Ltd on Monday said they have entered into an agreement for exclusive distribution of the Symbicort brand, an asthma medicine, in India.

Symbicort is owned by AstraZeneca, which will retain the intellectual property rights and will continue to be the marketing authorisation holder (MAH) and import license after the agreement, a joint statement shared on BSE by AstraZeneca Pharma India said.

"The partnership with Mankind Pharma presents an opportunity to accelerate access and maximise the potential of our asthma drug as well as the turbuhaler which is a simple device, efficient in consistently delivering a higher proportion of respirable particles than the other devices," AstraZeneca India Managing Director and Country President Sanjeev Panchal said.

Mankind Pharma has a distribution network, including close to 16,000 field forces and more than 13,000 stockists, across India providing access to quality pharmaceuticals across the country, including small towns and rural areas, the statement said.

"Symbicort's dual mechanism of action and ease of use in a single inhaler can greatly help patients manage these conditions and improve their quality of life. Through our field forces' extensive outreach, we hope to strengthen access across urban and rural markets," Atish Majumdar, Mankind Pharma's Senior President - Sales & Marketing, said.