Privately-held Cadila Pharmaceuticals today said it had launched Mycidac-C for the treatment of lung cancer.
The Ahmedabad-based company said in a press release said that the drug was the first of its kind in the world and was affordable and unique.
“Mycidac-C is an innovative research product for the patients suffering from Non Small Cell Lung Cancer(NSCLC). The drug has been approved for launch in India by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). It targets Desmocolin-3, a novel target,” the release said.
According to it, this is a first in the class active immunotherapy as well as drug targeting Desmocollin-3.
“It is a breakthrough in the management of squamous cell NSCLC. There has been no significantinnovation in management of squamous NSCLC since the introduction of platinum containing doublet in 1983. Besides affordability and other advantages, Mycidac-C has no systemic side effects during the treatment. Mycidac-C is to be used with platinum containing doublet therapy,” it said.
The release quoted World Health Organization (WHO) figures to say that about 1.25 million people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year worldwide. Around 30 per cent of them suffer from squamous NSCLC. Lung cancer kills more people than the three next commonest cancers combined, it said.
Mycidac-C can be administered easily by trained paramedics, thus further reducing the cost of hospitalisation associated with other cancer therapy, it said.
Dr Rajiv I Modi, Chairman and Managing Director of Cadila Pharmaceuticals said, “It has taken us over a decade, a huge investment and a dedicated research and development team to develop this unique drug. We expect it to be available in the Indian market by December 2013. Thereafter, we will introduce it in other regions like SAARC countries and European markets over the next five years.”
The release quoted Dr T. Ramasami, Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Science and Technology, as saying that lung cancer is a major killer among all cancers. “In this scenario, Mycidac-C is a new hope for the patients suffering form lung cancer, particularly for Indian patients,” he added.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Rajiv I Modi, Chairman and Managing Director of Cadila Pharmaceuticals said, “It has taken us over a decade, a huge investment and a dedicated research and development team to develop this unique drug. We expect it to be available in the Indian market by December 2013. Thereafter, we will introduce it in other regions like SAARC countries and European markets over the next five years.”
Dr T. Ramasami, Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Science and Technology also commented: “Lung cancer is a major killer among all cancers. In this scenario, Mycidac-C is a new hope for the patients suffering form lung cancer, particularly for Indian patients.”
About Cadila Pharmaceuticals
With a turnover of Rs 1200 crore, Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited is one of the largest privately held pharmaceutical companies in India, headquartered at Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Over the last six decades, it has been developing and manufacturing pharmaceutical products and selling and distributing these in over 50 countries around the world. An integrated healthcare solutions provider with pharmaceutical product basket, it caters to over 45 therapeutic areas that include cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, analgesics, haematinics, anti-infectives and antibiotics, respiratory agents, anti-diabetics and immunologicals. It has more than seven thousand employees across the globe.
Cadila Pharmaceuticals was the first Indian company to get IND approval by USFDA for clinical trials to be conducted in India. Subsequently, the company has filed 5 INDs with the USFDA.
