Sun Pharmaceutical is set to bring a bad-cholestrol-lowering drug for people who have high LDL despite their lifestyle changes and taking statins.
The oral drug, Bempedoic Acid, is expected to be launched in India, in a little over a week. The drug is indicated for people who have an inherited genetic disorder that causes high cholesterol levels or established heart disease where cholesterol levels remain high, despite lifestyle changes and the use of maximum tolerated dose of statins, the company explained.
The drug, originally from Esperion Therapeutics, had received the US FDA approval in February 2020. The segment in India, though is expected to see many entrants. Zydus Lifesciences launched its version of this drug, about a week ago. The domestic statin market is pegged at ₹4,300 crore.
India has a higher incidence of heart disease at 272 per 1,00,000 population compared to the global average of 235 per 1,00,000 population.. “Some patients with elevated cholesterol levels may respond inadequately to statins. There also a set of patients who are intolerant to statins. Bempedoic acid can be a useful treatment option for such patients,” Sun said. It’s drug will be sold under the brandname Brillo, the company said, without giving details on its pricing.