NEW DELHI: Several domestic drug companies are set to transform diabetes therapy by launching the blockbuster drug Empagliflozin at a fraction of the innovator’s price.
Affordable generics will hit the market within days, following the expiry of Boehringer Ingelheim’s patent on Empagliflozin on March 11, industry sources told TOI.
The launch of generic Empagliflozin, used to treat diabetes, related comorbidities, including heart failure, promises to slash therapy costs, making it more accessible to millions of diabetics and easing the financial strain of this debilitating disease. Those looking to launch the drug include Mankind Pharma, Torrent, Alkem, Dr Reddy’s and Lupin.
Going off-patent
Mankind Pharma, India’s fourth-largest firm by market share, plans to offer Empagliflozin at one-tenth the innovator’s Rs 60 per tablet, sources said.
Most generic versions will cost Rs 9-14 per tablet, disrupting the high-growth diabetes therapy market valued at nearly Rs 20,000 crore, up 43% from Rs 14,000 crore in 2021.
10.1cr Indians live with diabetes, most end up paying out of pocket
The market was further bolstered by Torrent Pharmaceuticals’ acquisition of three Empagliflozin brands from Boehringer Ingelheim last year. With India facing a staggering public health burden—10.1 crore people live with diabetes, according to International Diabetes Federation— this shift is critical.
“This aligns with our philosophy of breaking cost barriers with a high-quality product (raw materials certified by regulators like the USFDA) at an affordable price. Using our own active pharmaceutical ingredient in bulk lowers costs, and we will deploy separate teams to promote two distinct brands, boosting distribution and market share,” said a Mankind Pharma executive.
The market size of Empagliflozin and its combinations is estimated at Rs 640 crore. Experts highlight its ability to significantly reduce heart failure hospitalisations, slow chronic kidney disease progression and improve survival in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients, though high pricing has long limited access.
Metformin remains the first-line treatment for type-2 diabetes, but as the disease progresses, additional medications—such as Sulfonylureas (glimepiride, glyburide, glipizide, chlorpropamide), DPP-4 Inhibitors (sitagliptin, vildagliptin), and SGLT2 Inhibitors (empagliflozin, dapagliflozin, canagliflozin)—are added. Now, newer therapies like semaglutide and tirzepatide enhance management, offering improved glycemic control and cardiovascular benefits.
The economic burden of diabetes weighs heavily in India, where most patients pay out-of-pocket due to limited medical reimbursement. Treatment costs escalate with complications, magnifying the challenge.