MUMBAI, India I April 17, 2013 I Cipla, one of India’s leading generic pharmaceutical companies announces the launch of the first biosimilar of Etanercept in India; under the brand name ‘ETACEPT’ for the treatment of rheumatic disorders. Formed through a partnership alliance, ETACEPT is manufactured by a China-based company Shanghai CP Guojian Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., which will be marketed by Cipla in India. Over the 75 years, Cipla has established itself as a leader in many disease areas such as respiratory, cardiology, urology and anti-infectives including HIV/AIDS and of late has been aggressively developing the product pipeline in emerging therapies like Oncology, Rheumatology, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Hepatology etc. The introduction of Etacept now signals Cipla’s entry into the Biologic segment offering an option to the patients suffering from Rheumatic disorders at a lower cost.

Rheumatic Disorders are chronic inflammatory disorders affecting the joints, characterized by pain, redness, swelling and loss of function in several joints. It can lead to joint damage and deformities. If left undiagnosed and untreated, this could lead to permanent disability and at times could lead to mortality. However, rheumatic disorders can be controlled by early diagnosis and treatment.

Currently there are DMARDs (Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs) which are considered to be the first line of treatment for rheumatic disorders. However, approximately 40% of the patients are not controlled on these drugs. In such cases, biologics like Etanercept play a significant role in controlling the disease activity and make a positive difference in the lives of these patients.

ETACEPT contains Etanercept, a biologic produced by recombinant DNA technology. Etacept (Etanercept) binds to TNF-α, a cytokine that plays a very important role in the inflammation and joint damage in rheumatic disorders. It helps in modifying the course of the disease and prevents further damage to the joints. Etacept (Etanercept) is approved in the management of rheumatic disorders like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Juvenile Idiopathic Rheumatoid Arthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis.

Since its launch in 2006 in China by Shanghai CP Guojian Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., over 50,000 patients have been treated with Etanercept. Clinical efficacy and the safety of the drug have also been well established in Indian patients.

Etacept is available as a lyophilized powder to be given by subcutaneous injection. It is available with stockists across the country at Rs. 6,150/- and the recommended dose for adults is 25mg twice weekly by subcutaneous injection.

Commenting on the launch of Etacept, Dr. Jaideep Gogtay, Medical Director, Cipla said, “The higher cost of biologics has been a major hindrance, limiting its affordability and accessibility to millions of patients. We believe that introducing Etacept at a lower cost (30% lesser as compared to the innovator) will enable access of this drug to a greater number of patients in India. This can be enhanced further if we consider the results of a recent study that showed in patients who were successfully treated with Etanercept for 6 months, a 50% reduced dose worked just as well as continuing the current dose.”

About Cipla

Cipla laid the foundation for the Indian pharmaceutical industry in 1935, with the vision to make India self-reliant in healthcare. Over the years, Cipla has emerged as one of the most respected names not just in India but worldwide. Its state-of-the-art R&D centre has given the country and the world many firsts. This includes the revolutionary AIDS cocktail for less than a dollar a day. The company has over 34 manufacturing facilities across India, and manufactures 2,000+ products in 65 therapeutic categories.

With a turnover of over US $ 1.4 billion, Cipla serves doctors and patients in over 170 countries. It has earned a name for maintaining one global standard across all its products and services. Cipla continues to support, improve and save millions of lives with its high-quality drugs and innovative devices.

SOURCE: CIPLA