Dr Reddys Launches Osteoarthritis Injection

Dr Reddy's Laboratories has launched Hyalosyn (sodium hyaluronate), an intra-articular injection that provides relief from knee joint stiffness and immobility in patients suffering from severe osteoarthritis, in the domestic market today.

Hyalosyn has been launched under a co-marketing arrangement with Gland Pharma, a Rs 60-crore Hyderabad-based company specialising in injectibles. As per the pact, Gland Pharma will produce Hyalosyn for Dr Reddy's, using GaGs technology at its CGMP facility in the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Gland Pharma became the first company in the country to launch sodium hyaluronate under the Synject brand name about an year ago. It is the only company to have a pre-filled syringe fill-up unit in India.

 

Hyalosyn will be marketed as a sterile, pre-filled syringe containing 20 mg/2 ml sodium hyaluronate, Dr Reddy's said in a release. The company said Hyalosyn will further strengthen its arthritis franchise, in which it claims to be a leading player in the domestic market.

Apart from Gland Pharma and Dr Reddy's, three more companies have launched the product in the domestic market. Hyalosyn is an emerging therapy for osteoarthritis, known as Viscosupplementation.

Hyaluronic acid, the active ingredient in Hyalosyn, is a naturally occurring substance found in Synovial fluid which surrounds the joints. Hyaluronic acid acts as a lubricant that enables bones to move smoothly over each other and also acts as a shock-absorber for joints.

Osteoarthritis is a widely prevalent disease, with more than 90 per cent of people above the age of 45 estimated to show signs of this disease, and it is the leading cause of disability in people above the age of 65, the Dr Reddy's release added.