INDIA –Zydus Lifesciences Ltd has launched the molecule Sitagliptin in India under the brand names Sitaglyn and Siglyn to address Type-2 diabetes in India.

Sitaglyn and Siglyn offer an oral solution to the patients providing ease of convenience and better compliance, the company said in a regulatory filing.

The drug will add on to a comprehensive solution for the management of type diabetes by providing access to quality care to the patients at an affordable cost, approximately 60 percent lesser than the originator, it added.

The drug provides best-in-class achievement of Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) goals with a proven safety profile.

According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the prevalence of diabetes in India is 8.3% with around 74 million adults living with diabetes as of 2022. As per the data, 67 percent of these patients are unable to achieve their HbA1c goal.

MSD Pharmaceuticals’ sitagliptin phosphate 10 mg tablets sold under the Januvia brand has a retail price of around Rs 300 (US$3.8) per strip of seven tablets.

Zydus Lifesciences Ltd Managing Director Dr Sharvil Patel said, “The addition of Sitaglyn and Siglyn to our diabetes portfolio will give patients access to a world-class oral therapy to help people manage their diabetes better by making it more affordable.

Our high-quality product will expand the reach of the molecule to patients in India, supported by our wide distribution network.”

MSD Pharmaceuticals’ sitagliptin phosphate 10 mg tablets sold under the Januvia brand has a retail price of around Rs 300 (US$3.8) per strip of seven tablets.

Zydus said India’s oral anti-diabetic market is worth Rs 12,500 crore (US$1.6 billion), of which DPP4i (Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor) class of anti-diabetics has a share of more than Rs 4,000 crore (US$504.5 million).

The company has several brands to address diabetes, including Lipaglyn, Dapaglyn, Vinglyn and Tenglyn.

With the launch of these brands, Zydus has expanded its diabetes management offerings for patients and strengthens its presence in the anti-diabetic market.

Glenmark launches sitagliptin and its FDCs

At the same time, Glenmark has launched sitagliptin and its fixed dose combinations (FDCs) for adults with Type-2 diabetes in India.

The company has introduced 8 different combinations of sitagliptin based drugs under the brand name SITAZIT and its variants at affordable price.

These medicines have low risk of hypoglycemia, provide beta cell protection, offer cardio-renal benefits and are safe for patients with kidney or liver conditions and senior citizens, according to the company.

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 the drug cost on their own and so the price of the drug becomes a major factor that impacts treatment adherence.

Sitagliptin is the gold standard in the DPP4i category with over 62 percent market share in the global market.

Glenmark’s sitagliptin and its FDCs are priced at around one-third of cost of its innovator brand in India.

In 2015, Glenmark had launched its DPP4 inhibitor- teneligliptin in the diabetes market, at a price that was approximately 55% lower than the other DPP4 inhibitors available in India at that time.

The company had launched its globally researched, innovator molecule remogliflozin in 2019, at a price around 55 percent lesser than other SGLT2 inhibitors available in the Indian market at that time.

In the subsequent years 2020 and 2021, Glenmark became the first company in the world to launch remogliflozin + vildagliptin FDC and remogliflozin + vildagliptin + metformin FDC respectively.

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