Mumbai: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd has launched a biosimilar of the anti-diabetic drug Liraglutide for the first time in India, The drug is being marketed under the brand name lirafitfollowing approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). Priced at around Rs 100 for a standard dose of 1.2 mg (per day), this will lower the cost of therapy by approximately 70 per cent, and will be available only under prescription.
Liraglutide belongs to the class of glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP‐1 RA) drugs, which increase glucose‐dependent insulin secretion and decrease inappropriate glucagon secretion. It has been approved globally for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adult patients in the US and the European Union.
“Clinical trials have shown that it helps improve glycemic control in adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, along with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) and obesity.1‐5 Liraglutide has also been proven to have a positive impact on cardiac and renal safety outcomes among patients in clinical trials, making it an effective choice of treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
With this launch, we have now ventured into the injectable anti-diabetic market, taking another significant stride in the diabetes therapy space,” remarked Alok MalikPresident and Business Head, India Formulations, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
