Novartis Plans Patient Assistance Programme In India

Pharmaceutical major Novartis Ltd is planning to implement the Glivec International Patient Assistance Programme (GIPAP) in India. The programme is aimed at offering Glivec, a drug used for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukaemia, at affordable prices.

In countries where Glivec has already been launched, Novartis implements the GIPAP through The Max Foundation, a non-profit body working for the welfare of patients with leukaemia and other blood related diseases.

However, as The Max Foundation does not have a presence in India, Novartis is examining options to implement GIPAP locally.

"Our prime objective is to set up GIPAP in a way that allows Glivec to be available to as many Indian patients as possible with the active support of the medical fraternity," Novartis said in its annual report for 2001-02.

 

Novartis' pharma business, which comprises a huge portfolio of prescription medicines, logged a sales revenue of Rs 267.8 crore last fiscal, registering a growth of 7.4 per cent.

The growth was impacted by lower sales of transplant and oncology range of products.

Novartis launched products like GenTeal (indication - dry eyes), Miacalcic (post-menopausal osteoporosis), Tobrabact (external ocular infections), Visudyne (age-related macular degeneration), Zometa (hypercalcaemia in malignancy), etc, last fiscal.

In 2001, Novartis carved out the biochemie sector from the existing pharmaceutical business. With this segregation, the local business is now aligned with the worldwide Novartis business structure.

The biochemie sector, which comprises industrial and retail generics products, focuses on therapeutic segments like anti-TB, anti-DUB, anti-histamines, antibiotics, anti-ulcerants and anti-diabetes.

The company's consumer health sector grew by 10.7 per cent to clock sales of around Rs 42 crore.

Novartis' over-the-counter brand Calcium Sandoz also managed to almost double its marketshare.

"The business requires continued investment on promotion in an increasingly competitive market," Novartis said in its annual report.