PHOTO: G. R. N. SOMASHEKAR

RESCUING LIFE: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (right), Chairman and Managing Director, Biocon, and Sudha Murthy, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation, at the launch of Biocon's nephrology portfolio in Bangalore on Thursday.

BANGALORE: Biocon on Thursday launched its new nephrology division with a portfolio of renal therapy products, including Renodapt, Tacrograft, Cyclophil ME, Rapacan and Erypro. Sudha Murthy of Infosys Foundation released the products.

Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, said with the launch of the new products, Biocon anticipated a 25 per cent market share of the renal disease related medications market, estimated to be around Rs. 300 crore.

It also expected a larger share of the Rs. 125 crore immunosuppressants market, which Biocon was already into.

"We are committed to high quality branded formulations for nephrology and will soon have a balanced portfolio of products," she said.

The new immunosuppressants are powerful medications that inhibit the body's immune system and many are useful to those with kidney transplants.

Global studies reveal that kidney disease has grown to become a `silent epidemic' according to Biocon's President-Marketing, Rakesh Bamzai.

The company's Erthropoetin (EPO) had undergone clinical trials according to international standards with trials conducted on 300 patients already.

Though no exact figures for India are available yet, the incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is expected to be higher than that reported from the developed countries, mostly caused by uncontrolled diabetes, the latter a major disease in India.

Because of the high cost of renal transplants, 90 per cent of patients need other forms of treatment and medications.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail