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Pharmaceuticals Industry & Economy - Health Marketing - New Products & Services Nanotech-based drug delivery system from Dabur Our Bureau
Tiny dispensation Dabur's Nanoxel is expected to have far fewer side effects and allow for stronger dosages. This is the first time that a nanotechnology based pharmaceutical product was being commercialised outside of the US.
New Delhi , Jan. 4 A novel nanotechnology-based drug delivery system, Nanoxel, from Dabur Pharma Ltd for the anti-cancer drug paclitaxel will be available in the markets from today. The innovation is in the form of a new polymer-based nanoparticle that is water soluble, and to be used in an hour's intravenous infusion. Paclitaxel, the widely used chemotherapy agent, is currently combined with cremophor, a castor oil-based solvent, which leads to many side effects. Dabur's Nanoxel, whose drug to polymer ratio is one to half as compared with one to 80 in the case of cremophor, is expected to have far fewer side effects and allow for stronger dosages. Dr Anand Burman, Chairman of Dabur Pharma Ltd, said that this was the first time that a nanotechnology based pharmaceutical product was being commercialised outside of the US. The company, which has two patents for the drug delivery system and formulation, started nano-based research in 1997 and now has about ten molecules in the pipeline, said Dr Rama Mukherjee, President, R&D, Dabur Research Foundation. Although Nanoxel is available at a cost of about Rs 16,000 for a single chemotherapy cycle and could be marginally more expensive from current therapies, Dr Burman argued that treatment would not cost more since Nanoxel was more effective and would also have fewer side effects to treat. The company recently received the US FDA approval for its generic paclitaxel, and will file for European and US approvals for Nanoxel. It hopes to take the product to these markets in 18 to 36 months. However, said Dr Burman, clinical trials for the same will be first conducted in Europe and a few Asian countries. Refusing to speculate on what revenues the product may generate, Dr Burman said that the new product was superior and would take over conventional formulations, although the company was not considering phasing out its own existing paclitaxel products.
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