Cipla has priced Antiflu syrup at Rs 475 for 75 ml|Techsquarein|Cipla launches Antiflu pills and syrup to treat H1N1 swine flu T

Cipla Ltd has launched Antiflu – a generic version of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) to treat H1N1 swine flu virus, the firm said in a statement.Oseltamivir is the branded drug of the Swiss drug major Roche which markets the drug under the popularly name Tamiflu.Cipla has also launched Antiflu (oseltamivir) in syrup form to treat children with H1N1 swine flu infection.Cipla’s Antiflu (oseltamivir) will cost Rs 475 for a pack of ten tablets in 150 mg strength adult dosage form.Cipla’s Antiflu (oseltamivir) pills are also pre-qualified by the World Health Organization.Cipla has the capacity to produce upto 2 million Antiflu (oseltamivir) pills in one month.Cipla has also offered to supply Antiflu to the United States, where there is shortage of the drug currently, provided they could forego the patent of Roche’ s Tamiflu on grounds of national emergency.
“Now the US is facing a shortage of oseltamivir and we have informed our readiness to supply the drug if needed,” said the Cipla’s chairman and managing director.With the official launch of Antiflu to be sold through retail drug stores, Cipla joins the bandwagon of Indian companies like Hetero Drugs, Ranbaxy, Strides Arco Labs, Natco Pharma etc who compete in oseltamivir generic market.Cipla could face lesser competition in Antiflu pediatric dosage form – oseltmivir syrup in 75 ml/mg – as there are few players who have launched oseltamivir for children in syrup form.

Cipla has priced Antiflu syrup at Rs 475 for 75 ml.

Hetero Drugs reportedly launched oseltamivir syrup last month. Hetero’s Fluvir syrup costs Rs 520 for a bottle containing of 75 ml of oseltamivir, reports said quoting chemists’ association sources of Pune District.

Hetero Drugs, which launched oseltamivir under brand name Fluvir in India, produces the H1N1 swine drug under the sub licence from Roche which it signed in 2005.

Hetero Drug has supplied the first stock of Fluvir (oseltamivir) paediatric syrup Oseltamivir for private sale across the 12 designated chemists’ shops having schedule X licence in Pune, Maharashtra, reports said.

Natco Pharma is also learnt to be in race to launch as pediatric syrup version of its generic oseltamivir brand Natflu.

Recently, the government has lifted a ban on the sale of oseltamivir and zanamivir through retail chemists.

Oseltmivir to treat H1N1 swine flu has been restricted through government health centres till 15th September, as a measure to prevent random of the drugs the possibility of developing resistance to these two drugs –one of the two available options to treat swine flu.

Earlier, India government had procured around 9 million doses of oseltamivir from Hetero Drugs, the only domestic company that has a manufacturing agreement with Roche to make the low cost version of the patented version.

On september 1, Daiichi Ranbaxy Laboratories got orders from the Centre to supply 900,000 doses of oseltamivir- the generic version of Roche’s anti-viral Tamiflu – used to treat the H1N1 flu, a Ranbaxy spokesman said.

Bangalore-based Strides Arcolab also bagged a contract order from the Ministry of Health, Government of India for supply of 7.40 lakh doses of oseltamivir capsules, a day ago to tackle the emergency situation arising out of H1N1 pandemic outbreak in the country, as part of its second round of oseltmavir procurement to bolster the drug stockpile.

The health ministry also gave order to Roche for another one million doses of oseltamivir to complete its 10 million doses drug reserve.

The government is procuring oseltamivir at around Rs 280 for a pack of 10 tablets.

Mumbai-based cipla posted a net profit of Rs 275.7 crore during the quarter ending September 2009, compared to Rs 151.4 crore posted in the corresponding previous year’s quarter, according to the consolidated results.

Total sales during the period increased five per cent to Rs 1,383.9 crore from Rs 1,317.6 crore in the corresponding previous year’s quarter. Total income from operations was higher by 6.4 per cent at Rs1,455.61 crore.

There had been a decrease of about 23 per cent in other expenditure, by Rs 100 crore during the quarter. This was mainly due to a favourable foreign exchange situation, which led to a gain of Rs. 7.5 crore in the quarter, as compared to a loss of Rs 104.5 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.Exports of APIs and other products increased by 37.5 per cent to Rs170.6 crore.