| ( The Financil Express, Thursday, November 29 2001)
Ranbaxy holds talks with Cipla, Zydus Cadila to market Rofibax Ranbaxy Laboratories is in talks with domestic pharma majors including Cipla and Zydus Cadila to co-market its third new drug delivery system (NDDS) product, Rofibax-gel in the domestic market. The Indian pain management gel market is estimated to be around Rs 200 crore.
The company recently obtained the approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to market the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug meant for pain management. The permission has been granted following the successful completion of clinical trials of the new delivery system. Ranbaxy is soon expected to launch the gel in the domestic market.
When contacted, Mr SD Kaul regional director (India), Ranbaxy Laboratory declined to comment on the marketing pact, but confirmed that the talks are on with a few leading companies and the co-marketing partner could be the same companies Ranbaxy had earlier joined hands to market Ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin.
"It is almost after ten years that a new application has come up in pain management and ‘Rofibax-gel’ is a new molecule altogether meant for better pain management," Mr Kaul added.
Although Ranbaxy is already manufacturing and marketing ‘Volini’ pain gel, Mr Kaul said that each of the products will be positioned differently and will provide the consumer a choice as well. "However, Rofibax-gel has a much wider use and faster acceptance. Rofecoxib, a highly selective and specific cox-2 inhibitor, is mainly indicated for osteo and rheumatoid arthritis and acute pain management," Mr Kaul said.
Rofibax is the third NDDS product from Ranbaxy’s research pipeline after the company introduced antibiotics, Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin.
Rofecoxib, launched in form of tablets in July last year has emerged as the fastest growing new drugs in the domestic market and has even become the fastest entry into the top 100 brands. Rofibax tablets is expected to record sales of around Rs 17 crore this year.
The NDDS would help Ranbaxy to consolidate on its initial gains in rofecoxib sales and to acquire most of the local market for the drug soon. Ranbaxy has been exploring the possibility of entering into co-marketing arrangement with domestic companies for its various products, which helps the company in enhancing the market reach for the product. Over the past two months, Ranbaxy entered into separate co-marketing arrangement with Cipla and Zydus Cadila to market the once-a-day formulation of Ciprofloxacin and Ofloxacin respectively and are a win-win situation for both partners.
In case of Ofloxacin, the drug is being marketed under the companies’ respective brand names of Zannocin-OD (Ranbaxy) and Oflin-OD (Zydus Cadila). As per the agreement, Ranbaxy will manufacture and supply the product to Zydus. |
