Zydus Cadila launches generic prostate cancer drug at nearly 70% less price in India

Drug firm Zydus Cadila on Friday said it has launched generic Enzalutamide capsules used for the treatment of prostate cancer which costs nearly 70 per cent less than the currently available similar products in India.

The company's product under the brand name 'Obnyx' is priced at Rs 23,980 per month. The current maximum retail price (MRP) of Enzalutamide drug ranges from Rs 70,000 to 80,000 for a monthly therapy, Zydus Cadila said in a statement.

This price reduction will benefit many prostate cancer patients to adhere to the treatment,it added.

"Our aim is to make a preferred choice of therapy like Obynx available and more accessible to people suffering from cancer. Bridging these unmet gaps comes from our patient-first approach," Zydus Cadila MD SharvilPatel told PTI.

Enzalutamideis a preferred option among patients with significant liver, heart and kidney diseases which is very common in the elderly men. It has an advantage of being taken through oral route, Zydus Cadila said.

Developed in-house, the drug offers bio-availability advantages in a soft gel capsule, different from the hard gelatin capsules available in the country, it added.

Prostate cancer is one of the leading cancer in males in India and the risk increases with age, the company said.

Shares of Cadila Healthcare, the listed entity of the Zydus group were trading at Rs320.35per scrip on the BSE, down 0.39 per cent over previous close.