Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Bayer have entered into a partnership to market and distribute a second brand of Vericiguat in India.

Under the terms of this agreement, Bayer has granted non-exclusive rights to Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy’s under the brand name Gantra. 

Vericiguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator in India, is indicated, along with guideline-based medical therapy, in adults with symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (less than 45 per cent), following a recent event of worsening heart failure which required hospitalisation or outpatient intravenous (IV) diuretics.

“Despite therapy, chronic heart failure patients can experience disease progression that disrupts their lives and leads to worsening heart failure events.  We are excited about the possibilities with this partnership,’‘ Shweta Rai, Managing Director, Bayer Zydus Pharma and Country Division Head (CDH) for Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Business in South Asia said in a release. 

M.V. Ramana, Chief Executive Officer, Branded Markets (India and Emerging Markets), Dr. Reddy’s said: “Strengthening our chronic therapy portfolio in India continues to be a focus area for us. Vericiguat is a first-in-class sGC stimulator indicated for adults with symptomatic, chronic HF and ejection fraction less than 45 per cent following worsening heart failure.’‘

The addition of Vericiguat bolsters Dr Reddy’s  heart failure management portfolio that includes Cidmus, Daplo and beta blockers, he added. Vericiguat works on a pathway not currently targeted by existing heart failure treatments and can reduce the combined risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure hospitalisation in such patients, the release said. India has between 8-10 million people with heart failure, making it one of the largest populations with this condition. 

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