Lupin, Zydus Sign Pact To co-market Liver Diseases Drug

Lupin Limited (Lupin) and Zydus Lifesciences Limited (Zydus), a discovery-driven global lifesciences company, announced a licensing and supply agreement to co-market saroglitazar Mg in India for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steato hepatitis (NASH). Saroglitazar Mg's once-daily, 4mg dosing regimen improves compliance, minimizes pill burden, and provides improved convenience for patients.Under the terms of this agreement, Lupin will have semi-exclusive rights to co-market the product in India under the brand name Linvas. Zydus launched the drug under the brand names Lipaglyn and Bilypsa and will continue to market them. Lupin will pay Zydus upfront licensing fees and milestone payments based on the achievement of pre-defined milestones, as per pharmabiz.In India, NAFLD is not only a worry for obese or diabetic people, but it has also been noted that NAFLD can develop in the absence of obesity, a condition known as "lean" NAFLD. Because of the rise in obesity and other lifestyle-related disorders, the number of NAFLD/NASH patients has skyrocketed."We are excited to partner with Zydus to market saroglitazar Mg for the treatment of NAFLD/NASH. This partnership reaffirms our commitment to grow and expand our offerings to meet unmet needs of patients in India. This partnership will further enhance our gastroenterology portfolio, offering better access to healthcare options to our patients and medical professionals," said Nilesh Gupta, managing director, Lupin. Non-alcoholic liver disease is a spectrum disorder that includes non-alcoholic fatty liver and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, which can proceed to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the major cause of liver transplantation. It is believed that NAFLD affects 25-30% of the adult population in India.