Dr Reddy’s Labs, Bayer collaborate to market, distribute second brand of heart failure drug Vericiguat in India
Hyderabad: Dr
Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. and Bayer announced that both
companies have entered into a partnership to market and distribute a second
brand of Vericiguat in India.
Under the terms of this agreement, Bayer has
granted non-exclusive rights to Dr. Reddy’s under the brand name Gantra.
Vericiguat,
a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, in India, is indicated, along
with guideline-based medical therapy, in adults with symptomatic chronic heart
failure with reduced ejection fraction (less than 45%), following a recent
event of worsening heart failure which required hospitalization or outpatient
intravenous (IV) diuretics. Vericiguat works on a
pathway not currently targeted by existing heart failure treatments and can
reduce the combined risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure
hospitalization in such patient. India has between
8-10 million people with heart failure, making it one of the largest populations
with this condition.
Shweta
Rai, Managing Director, Bayer Zydus Pharma and Country Division Head (CDH) for
Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Business in South Asia said, “Despite therapy,
chronic heart failure patients can experience disease progression that disrupts
their lives and leads to worsening heart failure events. Vericiguat can help
slow down disease progression, reduce hospital admissions and improve their chances of survival. The introduction of
a second brand of vericiguat in India, through our partnership with Dr. Reddy’s
is a reaffirmation of our commitment to making innovative healthcare solutions
accessible to as many patients as possible. We are excited about the possibilities this
partnership with Dr. Reddy’s presents in improving health outcomes for patients
with chronic HF, following a recent event of worsening heart failure.”
M.V. Ramana, Chief
Executive Officer, Branded Markets (India and Emerging Markets), Dr Reddy’s
said, “Strengthening our chronic therapy portfolio in India continues to be
a focus area for us. Vericiguat is a first-in-class sGC stimulator indicated
for adults with symptomatic, chronic HF and ejection fraction less than 45%
following worsening heart failure. The addition of Vericiguat bolsters our
heart failure management portfolio that includes Cidmus, Daplo and beta
blockers. The partnership with Bayer is part of Dr. Reddy’s continuous efforts
to make innovative medicines available to patients in India through strategic
collaborations. We will use our strengths in marketing and distribution to
widen access to this novel treatment in metros and beyond into tier-I and
tier-II towns in India.”
failure is a major public health issue affecting more than 8-10 million people
in India. The average age of an Indian heart failure patient is a decade
younger than their Western counterparts being 55 – 60 yrs. Despite the substantially
younger age of patients with HF in India, the 5-year mortality rate is 60%. In patients with
chronic heart failure, with reduced ejection fraction (less than 45%) an event
of worsening heart failure can happen at any stage. 90% of patients who suffer
from worsening heart failure are not in the advanced stage of chronic heart
failure.
HF remains the commonest cardiac cause of hospitalization in India with
worsening heart failure events being one of the most important causes of death
in heart failure patients.
