Usha Sharma – Mumbai
Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical company, Intas Pharmaceuticals, which has recently launched cancer drug Azadine in India, is in the process of rolling out its marketing strategies for the product. The affordable cancer drug has been priced at 20 per cent of the imported brand Vidaza.
Commenting on the company’s marketing strategies for the product, Dr Vijayesh Gupta – India Head, Marketing and Sales, Intas Pharmaceuticals says, “Azadine will be launched as a pseudo-innovator as it is getting introduced for the first time in the country. The focus will be on increasing diagnosis, timely treatment and encouraging the patients to complete the treatment.”
Azadine will benefit millions of Indians suffering from Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Acute Myelogenous Leukaemia (AML) types of cancer. MDS and MDS progressed to AML is a life threatening blood cancer. It could lead to death of the patient depending upon how severe is the blood disorder (six months to four years). Incidence of elderly population is increasing day-by-day hence the MDS cases as well.
The company already has a dedicated team for haematology and oncology range of products. It consists of experienced professionals in the field of marketing and sales. “This team also has medical professionals. The existing team has been trained to effectively communicate with the doctors as this drug also needs medico-marketing communication,” informs Gupta.
The treatment cost has been drastically brought down to a fifth of its imported variant (which is currently in use). He continues, “We are also reaching out to oncologists and haematologists.”
Intas Pharma anticipates that Azadine will benefit millions of Indians suffering from MDS and AML types of cancer. The cost of treatment with the imported Azacitidine (Vidaza) is around Rs 18 lakhs for the entire treatment while the cost of treatment with Azadine is around Rs 3.7 lakhs for the entire treatment. This makes Azadine almost five times or 80 per cent less than imported brand Vidaza. More patients taking imported brand in India are likely to switch and benefit from Azadine (conforming to global standards) which is now available at such an affordable price.
Responding to a query asked by the Express Pharma, Gupta emphasises, “It is not revenue which is relevant in this case. There is a medical need and we feel our elderly population suffering from MDS/AML needs this drug in India. We hope that a few thousand patients will get benefitted with this drug in the first year of launch. I strongly feel that this would not just enhance our equity as an innovator and world class pharma company but also as an institution that is dedicated to the well being and making the medicines more accessible to those who need them at affordable prices. We are aiming at a revenue of Rs 15 crores during the first year. ”
Commenting on the company’s plan to take the product to other markets, Gupta says, “We are exploring the joint venture with companies in India and in other countries to spread the benefit of this low cost treatment. We feel that as there is a large population which is suffering would immensely benefit from this drug. To achieve this objective, co-marketing and franchise models will be highly suitable.”
The company has initiated the development of its product in 2011. The scale up and technology transfer to plant scale was done in 2012, and got India manufacturing permission in May 2014 and the product was launched in June 2014 after DCG(I) approval.
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