 "Cadila's Moraiya plant near Ahmedabad")
Drug firm Zydus Cadila on Wednesday said it has launched its affordable oral anti-diabetic Vinglyn brand tablets available in two formulations in India.
As the product patent on popular diabetes drug Vildagliptin has expired in India on December 9, some domestic drug firms have launched the generic versions of the drug in the country that are much cheaper than the patented medicine.
"Priced at just Rs 4.95 per tablet, which is almost 1/6th the price at which the patented Vildagliptin was initially launched in India, Vinglyn is now one of the most affordable brands of Vildagliptin for diabetic patients in India," Zydus Cadila said in a statement.
Vinglyn and Vinglyn M will be marketed by Zydus Healthcare Ltd, it added.
Zydus Cadila Managing Director Sharvil Patel said, "Fortifying our fight against diabetes, our aim is to make therapies affordable and accessible to patients from across sections of society."
With Vinglyn, Zydus Cadila believes that it has once again been able to offer this. The access to one of the most affordable gliptin therapies will help a large number of patients suffering from type-2 diabetes, in India, he added.
With a patient population of almost 77 million diabetics in India, access to affordable therapy is vital for the effective management of the disease, the statement said.
The drug belongs to the class of oral anti-diabetic agents, known as DPP4 inhibitors, which have shown promise in achieving glycaemic control without deterioration in beta cell function and are one of the recent advancements in diabetes care and management, the statement said.
Another drug firm Panacea Biotec on Tuesday had said it had launched its VilACT brand tablets available in four formulations, for treatment of type-2 diabetes in India.
The company had also said its brand will be an affordable and high-quality medicine.
According to the AIOCD MAT October 2019 data, the total market size of this molecule and its combination is Rs 969 crore and is growing at the rate of 4 per cent, Panacea Biotec had said.
Shares of Cadila Healthcare, the listed entity of the Zydus group closed at Rs 262.25 per scrip on the BSE, up 0.50 per cent from its previous close.
