Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Wednesday said that it has launched a biosimilar of the popular anti‐diabetic drug, Liraglutide, for the first time in India.
After receiving the approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), the drug is now being introduced to the Indian market under its brand name 'Lirafit', the company said in a stock exchange filing on Wednesday.
The drug priced around ₹100for a standard dose of 1.2mg (per day). This represents a 70% reduction in therapy costs and is accessible only with a prescription, Glenmark informed the bourses.
Liraglutide is categorised as a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) drug, known for enhancing glucose-dependent insulin secretion and reducing inappropriate glucagon secretion.
Globally approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adult patients, Liraglutide has received regulatory clearances in both the United States and the European Union.
Also, clinical trials have demonstrated that Liraglutide not only effectively treats type 2 diabetes mellitus but also yields positive impacts on cardiac and renal safety outcomes, solidifying its effectiveness as a treatment choice for patients.
"Glenmark is proud to introduce Lirafit, a novel and affordable biosimilar of the drug liraglutide, for the first time in India. 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,” said Alok Malik, President and Business Head ‐ India Formulations, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals.
Shares of Glenmark were trading 0.81% higher at ₹890.25 apiece at 10:09am on January 3, 24.
