Glenmark Pharma launches combination drug for diabetic patients

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Wednesday said it has launched triple fixed-dose combination Teneligliptin with Pioglitazone and Metformin in India for diabetic patients, in an exchange filing.

This fixed-dose combination offers patients with Type 2 diabetes the convenience of once daily dosing to improve their glycemic control. It is priced at Rs 14.90 per day, thereby reducing the daily cost of therapy by 40 per cent, making it more affordable to the masses, the company said in a statement.

It has been launched under the brand name Zita-PioMet, and contains Teneligliptin (20 mg), Pioglitazone (15 mg) and Metformin (500mg/1000mg) in a sustained release (SR) formulation, it added.

"Type 2 diabetes patients in India often face issues of beta cell dysfunction along with insulin resistance. In fact, the prevalence of high insulin resistance in India is 38 per cent compared to the global incidence of 15 per cent," Glenmark Pharmaceuticals EVP & Business Head - India Formulations Alok Malik said.

The market for oral anti-diabetic drugs in India is estimated to be Rs 11,877 crore, up 6.3 percent from the same period last year, according to the company, which cited IQVIA sales data for the 12-month period ending November 2022.

It further said as per the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the prevalence of diabetes in India is expected to increase to 125 million by 2045, 77 per cent of which would have uncontrolled diabetes.