Zydus announces non-exclusive patent licensing agreement with Takeda for ‘Vault’ (Vonoprazan) in India

Zydus Lifesciences (including its subsidiaries/affiliates hereafter referred to as  “Zydus”)  has entered into a non-exclusive  patent licensing agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to market the novel  Potassium Competitive Acid Blocker (P-CAB) Vonoprazan in India. The drug will be  marketed under the brand name of Vault in India.  

Under the terms of this agreement, Zydus will be marketing the drug in India. Gastroesophageal  Reflux Disease (GERD) is quite prevalent condition affecting patients in India. The pooled  prevalence of GERD in the Indian population is 15.6 per cent as per study published in Indian Journal  of Gastroenterology, 2021, citing age, body mass index (BMI), diet, tea/coffee intake, tobacco,  and alcohol consumption as risk factors1.  

Speaking on the development, Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Zydus Lifesciences said, “With a rich legacy in marketing gastrointestinal therapies in India, we have been offering  different breakthrough clinical options across the spectrum. In keeping with our patient-centric  approaches, we have been enabling access to newer treatment options and innovative  healthcare solutions over nearly three decades. ”

Vonoprazan has a novel mechanism of action and it inhibits the binding of potassium ions to  H+K+ ATPase (proton pump) in parietal cells in the stomach, thereby it suppresses basal and  stimulated gastric acid secretion. Vonoprazan is approved in India by the DCGI for the  treatment of adults with Reflux esophagitis and other Acid Peptic Disorders (APD). 

References: 

1. Indian Journal of Gastroenterology: Official Journal of the Indian Society of  Gastroenterology, 06 Jan 2021, 40(2):209-219