Ranbaxy introduces world's first biogeneric injectible drug for osteoporosis

India's largest pharmaceuticals major Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd (2007 consolidated sales: Rs6,627 crore ) today said that it has become the first company in the world to introduce a recombinant human parathyroid hormone injection for the treatment of osteoporosis.

The product using artificially created parathyroid hormone, Bonista teriparatide, which will be marketed by Ranbaxy, has been indigenously researched by the Rs600-crore Hyderabad-based Virchow Group's pharmaceuticals and biotechnology firm Virchow Biotech Pvt Ltd, the largest producer of Sulfamethoxazole in the world. The department of science and technology has aided the development of the product.

"Bonista is also a classic example of our endeavours to offer quality biogeneric therapeutic options to doctors and an affordable and efficacious product to patients,'' said Sanjeev I Dani, senior vice president and regional director (Asia and CIS), Ranbaxy. ''Ranbaxy has a number of new products in its pipeline including 'Bonista', for the Osteoporosis patients who are normally treated by orthopaedics and gynaecologists.."

The osteoporosis segment in India is currently valued at around Rs219 crore, rowing at over 29 per cent in value terms in 2006-07.

Although data on the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures is limited, it is estimated that each year, osteoporosis causes more than 1.5 million fractures, resulting in permanent disability, loss of independence, and death.

An estimated 61 million people in India are reported to be affected by osteoporosis and the rising life expectancy has increased the incidence of bone degeneration. Recent data indicates that Indians have lower bone density than their North American and European counterparts. One of the reasons could be that the majority of Indians have low vitamin D status and are on low dietary calcium or restrictied energy intake, which makes them prone to bone diseases, with 50 per cent of women estimated to be suffering from it.

Established in 2001, Virchow Biotech produces over 15 biological products in state of the art production facilities equipped to manufacture topical biologicals, recombinants and parenteral biopharmaceuticals.