Lupin, Boehringer to co-market two oral anti-diabetic drugs in India

The two drugs, Gibtulio Met and Ajaduo, will be co-marketed simultaneously by Boehringer Ingelheim and Lupin across India under different brand names

Drug major Lupin on Wednesday said it has expanded its collaboration with Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim for co-marketing two oral anti-diabetic drugs in India.

The two new oral anti-diabetics drugs -- Gibtulio Met (Empagliflozin+ Metformin) and Ajaduo (Empagliflozin +Linagliptin) -- were recently approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

"Both these products belong to a novel class of oral anti-diabetic drugs patented in India and will be launched for the first time by an Indian company," Lupin said in a regulatory filing.

The two products will be co-marketed simultaneously by Boehringer Ingelheim and Lupin across India under different brand names, it added.

In October 2015, Lupin and Boehringer Ingelheim announced a strategic alliance to co-market anti-diabetes drug linagliptin in India.

Quoting International Diabetes Federation, Lupin said India is home to 72.9 million adults aged between 20 and 79 years of age, ranking second behind China and is poised to breach 150 million patients by 2045, overtaking China.

The Indian diabetes market is valued at Rs 1,13,360 million and is growing at 11.7 per cent (IMS MAT April 2018) with the oral anti-diabetic market being valued at Rs 83,340 million and growing at 11.21 per cent (IMS MAT April 2018), it added.

Shares of Lupin were trading 0.10 per cent higher at Rs 904.10 on BSE.