Dr. Reddy’s launches drug to treat rare form of head and neck cancer in India 

Generic drugmaker Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has launched in India immuno-oncology drug Toripalimab for those diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

The launch, under the Zytorvi brand name in India, follows a licence and commercialisation agreement it had entered last year with Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co. Dr. Reddy’s, under the agreement, obtained exclusive rights to develop and commercialise Toripalimab in 21 countries including India, South Africa, Brazil and various countries in Latin America. Additionally, the agreement allows it to expand the scope of the licence to cover Australia, New Zealand and nine other countries.

With the launch, India becomes the third country after China and the U.S. to receive access to this next generation PD-1 inhibitor, Dr. Reddy’s said in a release on Thursday.

Toripalimab is a New Biological Entity and the only immuno-oncology drug approved by various regulatory authorities around the world such as the United States Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for the treatment of adults with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC), it said.

The standard of care for RM-NPC in India before Toripalimab was chemotherapy (gemcitabine and cisplatin). “The launch of Toripalimab is a significant milestone for patients diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in India. NPC is a rare form of head and neck cancer,” CEO-Branded Markets (India and Emerging Markets) of Dr. Reddy’s M.V. Ramana said.

Oncology has been a top focus therapy area for the company. Under its innovation agenda, access to novel molecules through collaborations is a key pillar. “We have been able to launch Toripalimab in India in the same year as its launch in the U.S.,” he said.

Published - November 28, 2024 09:42 pm IST