Dr Reddy's Laboratories on Friday announced the launch of a combination drug to treat hypertension, or high blood pressure. Called Optidoz, it is a single-pill combination of three anti-hypertensive drugs-Amlodipine 2.5 milligrams, Telmisartan 20mg and Hydrochlorothiazide 6.25mg.
It took the Hyderabad-based company three years to develop the drug and get it approved from the Drug Controller General of India, says Alok Sonig, Senior Vice President and head of the Indian generics business at Dr Reddy's.
He says the drug may find applicability with a large number of hypertensive patients and will not face the challenges of having to tweak the dosages to suit individual needs.
Sonig says the drug's efficacy and safety was established through clinical trials on 512 patients with mild to moderate hypertension between November 2010 and June 2011.
He says Optidoz is not a new molecule, but its combination and dosage makes it a unique product and first such drug in the world. Since it is a single pill with three hypertension drugs, Optidoz also lowers side effects and will lead to enhanced compliance in patients, he adds.
Priced at Rs 8 per tablet, Optidoz is currently targeted at the Indian market. The New York Stock Exchange-listed company will have to conduct similar clinical trials in other markets before launching it there.
India has a big market for hypertension drugs. The country, says Sonig, has nearly 200 million patients of hypertension with only half of them aware of their illness.
Even among those who are aware, only 30 per cent take any medication. According to a company press release, about 32 per cent of the adult Indian population suffers from high blood pressure. Over the past six decades, the prevalence has increased 12 fold in urban areas and seven times in rural areas.
While more than 125 anti-hypertensive drugs are available in India, 76 per cent cases of high blood pressure remain uncontrolled, it says.
Published on: Jan 10, 2014 8:13 PM IST