Pharma company, JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals (JB Pharma), has cut the price of critical heart failure drug by 50%. This would bring down the monthly cost of the medicine for heart patients to Rs 2,200 from Rs 4,500 making it more accessible and affordable. The Sacubitril-Valsartan patented molecule is sold by JB under the brand Azmarda.
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The molecule is presently patented by Novartis AG, Switzerland. JB Pharma acquired the Azmarda in April 2022 brand from Novartis AG, Switzerland for the India region for Rs 246 crore. Azmarda is the third largest brand in the category with a 17% market share with a sales value of Rs 93.5 crore (IQVIA MAT OCT’22 sales). Sacubitril-Valsartan was Rs 500 crore market growing at 30% CAGR in the country.
After the price reduction, Azmarda (Sacubitril-Valsartan) 50 mg will be available at Rs 39.6 per tablet as compared to Rs 78 per tablet earlier. The drug is also available in 100 mg dosage. JB ranks at number eight in the cardiology segment.
Dr Nitin Patki, Cardiology Associate – Melbourne Interventional Cardiologist, MMF’s Joshi Hospital, Pune said, India accounted for 40% of the world’s 2.6 crore patients with heart failure. Indians were prone to lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, which are risk factors for heart failure. “Lack of drug adherence in India is also one of the leading causes of heart failure because only about 50% of India’s heart failure patients ever take medicines,” Dr Patki said. It is estimated that one crore people in the country suffer from heart failure condition with a mortality rate of 20-30% in one year and 50% mortality within five years of diagnosis, he said. As it remains undiagnosed, patients become aware of it mostly at the end-stage and it claims 1.6 lakh lives every year with. Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. Blood often backs up and causes fluid to build up in the lungs and in the legs causing shortness of breath and swelling of the legs and feet. Dr Patki said younger people in the country were detected from heart failure.
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Vikas Khare, vice president and head chronic cluster, JB Pharma, said at present only 10% of the patients suffering from heart failure used the drug but with the reduction in the drug price they expect it to reach 2 to 2.5x more patients. The company is hoping to make up for the price reduction with growth in volumes and better penetration of the market.
The molecule is expected to go off-patent in January 2023 but Khare said the process patent for the molecule had been extended by another three years and it would not easy for generic makers to make this drug. So the company had this window to grow its brand for the next couple of years.
The company would also facilitate the creation of 300 plus heart clinics across the country. Thirty of these would be in Maharashtra which accounts for 25% of the country’s heart failure cases. The heart clinics with paramedics and medical devices will be placed with doctors and help in the early detection of this medical condition and timely treatment. The drug helps in reducing hospitalization which could cost by around Rs 1-2 lakh, Khare said.
Investment firm KKR owns a 54% stake in JB Pharma which has a portfolio comprising cardiac, gastrointestinal and anti-infectives with flagship brands — Cilacar, Metrogyl, Nicardia and Rantac. The company is also into contract manufacturing and is the third-largest lozenges manufacturer in the world. Apart from growing its own brands, the company has been acquiring brands.
JB acquired Razel (Rosuvastatin) from Glenmark Pharmaceuticals last month for Rs 314 crore to expand the cardiology product portfolio and enter the Rs 4,500 crore statins market. These forays are part of the company’s plans to expand its chronic segment from 40% to 60%.
