By IANS,
Bangalore : India’s leading biotechnology firm Biocon Ltd has introduced a new drug delivery system with two of its life-saving products in pre-filled syringes for kidney and cancer patients.
“We have tied-up with the US-based Safety Syringes to market Erypro Safe for treating renal failures and Nufil Safe for cancer treatment in pre-filled syringes, which are less painful and safe to be self-injected by patients,” Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw told reporters here Wednesday at a preview of the product.
Though Biocon will continue to market the two drugs in vials to institutional and bulk buyers, the new safety device is aimed at about 100,000 kidney patients and over three million cancer patients in the country, battling the dreaded diseases for a healthy and long life.
“Pre-filled syringes are advantageous for self-injecting patients, as they are simple and safe handing with lesser chance of injury. The novel device is tamper proof and non-reusable,” Shaw noted.
Set to be the first of its kind in the country, Erypro will be available in different doses ranging from 2,000 IU (international units) to 10,000 IU and priced between Rs.715 and Rs.2,995, while Nufil will be sold at Rs.1,975 for a 0.5 ml dose.
The pharma major also sells the drugs in vials at Rs.575 for 2,000 IU, which is less than one ml.
“The market size for pre-filled syringes in the country is estimated at about Rs.3 billion ($71.4 million) and growing at over 20 percent per annum. Similarly, of the total market of Rs.750 million for renal failure drugs, pre-filled syringes account for Rs.250 million,” Shaw pointed out.
The California-based Safety Syringes has developed the novel pre-filled device to enhance safety and convenience of patients who are self-dependent in administering the required drug dosage.
“The Indian pharma industry has registered an increasing demand for pre-filled syringe systems over the last decade. There is a growing trend of injectable drugs moving into the pre-filled syringe as a presentation format. Worldwide, pre-filled syringe volumes have reached over two billion IU,” Safety Syringes vice-president Mark Hassett said in a statement here.