Ipca Labs Aims Rs 100-Crore Sales In Three Years From New Diabetic Foot Ulcer Drug
The company also plans to market the product in Europe, US and Japan.
Ipca Laboratories Ltd. launched on Friday Diulcer, its new drug for treating wounds caused by diabetic foot ulcers. The company is expecting sales of Rs 100 crore from the drug within the next three years, according to Managing Director Ajit Kumar Jain.
Discovered and repurposed by NovaLead Pharma Pvt., Diulcer will be distributed and marketed by Ipca both in India and overseas. The new drug will hit India's pharmacies from next week, firstly in western and southern states. Diulcer will be available as an ointment gel at a price of Rs 1,635 per tube of 15 grammes for commercial use.
"This product includes lots of ingredients that are imported, and the sterilisation process of this product is also complex, that is why the drug is expensive", Jain told NDTV Profit when asked about what makes the drug expensive. Meanwhile, 20% of the total drug cost is subsidised by the government to make it affordable.
The company also plans to market the product in Europe, US and Japan. NovaLead Pharma has already bagged a global patent for over 15 years for Diulcus, with Ipca investing Rs 13 crore in buying the licence for distribution and marketing of the drug.
Ipca plans to promote the drug across 2,500 key healthcare centres in India and is already in touch with around 4,000 deals for distribution and marketing of this product.
The ointment will be used to treat ulcer wounds caused by uncontrolled diabetes of any kind, which is a common occurrence across age-groups today. According to the press release shared by the company, Diulcus has an ulcer closure rate of over 77% over a period of six months, which means that the gel takes six months to treat 77% of the wound. While in three months, the drug can treat over 30% of the wound, it said.
Henceforth, the treatment of the wound will last from 12–24 weeks, depending on its complexity. Jain said that Diulcus is a one-of its-kind product that would lead to the full closure of the wound.
"This is an unmet need in the country, because there is no treatment available as of now for diabetic ulcers," Jain said. "Till now, doctors are treating the wound by taking care of the ulcer, but there was nothing available for complete closure (of the wound).
Explaining the relevance of the new drug, Jain said 80% of amputations (removal of an infected limb or a body part with tumor) in the country happen due to wounds caused by diabetic ulcers, which makes the drug even more important at homeland.
"With over 15% of diabetic patients experiencing DFU at least once in their lifetime, this condition is the leading cause of lower limb amputations worldwide", said Premchand Godha, executive chairperson of Ipca. "The launch of Diulcus represents a significant advancement in DFU (diabetic foot ulcers) management."
Diulcus has already received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization and is partially funded by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council.
The new drug will be applied depending to the condition of the ulcer. If the wound is at a non-infectious stage, the ointment can be used immediately. However, if the wound has turned infectious, the ointment must be applied only after the infection is treated, according NovaLead Pharma Chief Executive Officer Supreet Deshpande.
When asked about key areas of focus for Ipca Laboratories, Jain said he will continue to focus on segments such as pain management, rheumatoid arthritis, and anti-malaria drugs.
