Prices of oral diabetes drugs set to fall as patents near expiry date

The Rs 15,000-crore diabetes drug market in the country is witnessing a churn with many patents reaching their expiry. For patients, that’s good news as far as medicine price is concerned. The diabetes segment has been growing faster than the country’s overall drug market.

A recent Delhi High Court order which dismissed an appeal by British drugmaker AstraZeneca that had sought restraining of the generic versions of its diabetic drug dapagliflozin, has now paved way for further price erosion in this segment.

AstraZeneca holds two patents for this drug in the country – one of which expired last October, and