New Delhi: Anti-diabetic medication Sitagliptin is likely to get cheaper as the drug goes off patent this month. It will now be available for one third of its current price, with several Indian pharmaceuticals planning the drug’s launch.
Sitagliptin is used to treat Type 2 diabetes — a condition in which blood sugar is high because the body does not produce or use insulin normally.
A popular drug, Sitagliptin provides a treatment option for people with Type 2 diabetes who do not respond well or are at risk of side effects from other medications, such as Metformin (another medication to treat Type 2 diabetes).
Developed by US-pharmaceutical Merck & Co, Sitagliptin was approved by the US FDA in 2006. It was the first anti-diabetic treatment approved in the class of drugs known as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors that enhances a body’s own ability to lower elevated blood sugar levels.
Merck had so far been marketing a fixed dose combination of Sitagliptin and Metformin under the brand name Janumet in India. Under a license agreement from Merck, Sun Pharma also markets Sitagliptin and a Sitagliptin-Metformin combination. Retail price of the drug in India is currently over Rs 38 to 45 per tablet.
Ahead of the drug going off patent, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) had last month fixed the retail price for Sitaglipin formulation between Rs 8 to 21 per tablet.
According to reports, the global market for diabetes drugs was valued at $ 48,753 million in 2018 and is projected to reach $ 78,261 million by the end of 2026.
A 2017 WHO report had said that nearly 69.2 million people in India live with Type 2 diabetes and the number is likely to go up to nearly 98 million by 2030, according to a 2019 study published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.
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Reduced price, increased accessibility
Several Indian pharmaceuticals — including Glenmark and Dr Reddy’s — have announced their plans to launch Sitagliptin this week.
“We are launching Sitagliptin under the brand name Stig. In keeping with our purpose of ‘Good Health Can’t Wait’, Dr. Reddy’s Stig will be among the most affordably-priced options available to patients living with diabetes,” a company spokesperson told ThePrint.
Meanwhile, Glenmark said in a statement that the company has introduced eight different combinations of Sitagliptin-based drugs under the brand name SITAZIT® and its variants to increase accessibility and affordability for patients with Type-2 diabetes.
“In chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, patients are required to consume multiple anti-diabetic drugs for prolonged periods of time. Moreover, in India, patients have to bear drug costs on their own. So the price of the drug becomes a major factor that impacts treatment adherence. Glenmark’s Sitagliptin and its fixed dose combinations are priced at around one-third of cost of its innovator brand in India,” Glemark said in a statement to ThePrint.
A Glenmark spokesperson also told ThePrint that its drug will be priced between Rs 10 and Rs 20, whereas Merck’s formulations were priced between Rs 23 and Rs 41 per tablet.
The NPPA’s order on price control shows that several other pharmaceuticals, including Zydus, Abott Healthcare, Akums, Torrent, Skymap, and Emcure are also likely to jump into the foray.
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Source: The Print
