Diabetic drugs : Cipla partners with Novartis and Johnson while Alkem partners Dong A

MUMBAI: In order to foray into antidiabetic drug market pharma giant Cipla and Mumbai based Alkem Pharma has tied up with multinationals for gliptin class of oral agents.

Gliptins, or class of DPP4 drug inhibitors, are considered far more effective in controlling blood sugar levels than the previous class of drugs.

To market their antidiabetic Vildagliptin and Canagliflozin, Cipla has tied with Novartis and Johnson and Johnson whereas Alkem has partnered with Dong A, a South Korean drugmaker for Evogliptin.

Evogliptin has been approved in South Korea and Alkem is waiting for an approval from the USFDA authorities for its North American launch.

Informing that Alkem is in the process of filing for regulatory approvals, and is expected to launch the drug in six to eight months, Satyen Manikani, strategy and business development head at Alkem told ET, “We have just scratched the surface with regards to gliptins.”

“This is for the first time we are entering the diabetes market in a big way,” Umang Vohra, CEO at Cipla, informed during the company’s third-quarter results announcement.

The 10,000 strong sales force will be used by Cipla to make a dent in this space. USV Pharma, Emcure, and Abbott have also tied up Novartis for Vildagliptin.

In India, the gliptin market is one of the most competitive with over 160 brands vying for a pie of the Rs 10,000-crore anti-diabetes market. Four gliptin drugs — Sitagliptin, Vildagliptin, Saxagliptin and Teneligliptin — are sub-licensed to over 20 drug makers who are engaged in a price war reports ET.