Hyderabad-based MSN to roll out 17 drugs in 2021

Products will be rolled out across cardiovascular, diabetes, oncology, central nervous system and other segments

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based MSN Group, with nine active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and five finished dosage facilities in Hyderabad and the US, is lining up new product development and plans to launch 16-17 generic drugs in 2021. The company is also looking for opportunities to expand manufacturing capabilities through greenfield and brownfield expansion.

The R&D-driven company currently has a portfolio of 380 APIs and over 250 formulations covering over 35 major therapeutic areas, catering to more than 65 countries worldwide. The company serves about four crore customers globally.

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C Bharat Reddy, executive director, MSN Group, told Telangana today, “The generic drugs that will be launched this year will be across therapeutic categories such as cardiovascular, diabetes, oncology, central nervous system and others.”

The company with an employee base of 11,000 people globally today has obtained over 650 patents and over 100 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs). The company’s integrated R&D centre for APIs and formulations at Pashamylaram hosts 1,400 scientists. The company also has 42 synthetic labs to carry out chemistry research and dosage development. It files 45-50 drug master files in the US every year.

He added, “Across therapeutic categories, we have constantly reduced the prices of drugs through our generic drugs. We have launched in August 2020 favipiravir (to treat Covid) at Rs 33 per tablet bringing down the price from Rs 103 per tablet available earlier. Similarly in November 2020, we launched tofacitinib (to treat rheumatoid arthritis) at Rs 37 per tablet bringing down the price from Rs 1,105 per tablet. Chemistry has been the core strength of MSN Group that has made possible to make drugs affordable.”

The company will continue to bring out off-patented drugs in the coming years as well, by bringing down the drug prices by almost one-tenth. It will make significant investments in R&D.

Epilepsy drug

MSN is launching Brivanext, a generic drug for the treatment of partial-onset seizures (epilepsy). The drug which has received Drugs Controller General of India clearance will be rolled out in India after the expiry of the patent of the innovator drug Brivaracetam tablet in India on 22 February.

The Indian epilepsy drug market is estimated at over Rs 1,000 crore. There are 1.2 crore patients suffering from epilepsy in India.

“We have developed both the API and formulation in-house and will soon launch the drug in tablet as well as other forms in India. We are the only company to file an ANDA for liquid dosage form in the US,” added Reddy.

The drug is priced at Rs 15 per tablet compared to the innovator drug price offered at over Rs 85 per tablet earlier. The drug will be introduced in five strengths. “We are making the drug at Bachupally facility while the injection is being made in Kothur facility, which is the US FDA approved unit. Besides the domestic market, we are keen to make the drug available in the US, Europe, Canada and other core markets, whenever the patents will expire in these markets,” he added.

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