JB Pharma on Monday announced a 50% price cut for its heart failure drug Azmarda, which is a sacubitril-valsartan combination, in anticipation of stiff competition with the drug going off-patent in January 2023.
After the price reduction, Azmarda 50 mg will be available at Rs 39.6 per tablet as compared to Rs 78 per tablet. Azmarda is one of the top selling drugs of JB Pharma, with 17% market share.
"This is in line with our strategy of providing innovative and quality treatment to a larger patient pool at the most affordable price points," said Dilip Singh Rathore, president, domestic business at JB Pharma.
Rathore said the price cut will reduce the overall monthly treatment cost significantly from Rs 4500 to Rs 2200.
"The heart failure drug also helps in reducing hospitalization cost by around Rs 1,00,000 at the minimum,” Rathore said.
JB Pharma in April this year has acquired Azmarda brand from Novartis for the India region for Rs 246 crores.
To market the product JB has set up a division called “heart failure”, with 200 marketing representatives (MRs) for the promotion of the brand, and added five-six other products related to the same indication.
Heart failure affects 8 to 12 million people in the country. Sacubitril+ Valsartan is currently prescribed to 30-35% of HFrEF patients while doctors believe the share can go up to 50-65% with the right pricing.
As per IQVIA, MAT Sep 22 data sacubitril- valsartan is now over Rs 500 crores market with a 3-year CAGR of 30%. The molecule is presently patented by Novartis AG, Switzerland and currently, four companies including Novartis are serving the Indian market.
Source: EconomicTimes