Zydus Lifesciences Limited discovery-driven global lifesciences company has entered into a non-exclusive patent licensing agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to market the novel Potassium Competitive Acid Blocker (P-CAB) Vonoprazan in India. The drug will be marketed under the brand name of Vault® in India.
Under the terms of this agreement, Zydus will be marketing the drug in India. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is quite prevalent condition affecting patients in India. The pooled prevalence of GERD in the Indian population is 15.6 % as per study published in Indian Journal of Gastroenterology, 2021, citing age, body mass index (BMI), diet, tea/coffee intake, tobacco, and alcohol consumption as risk factors.
Zydus is a pioneer in providing innovative treatment options to manage GERD like Pantodac® (Pantoprazole), Happi® (Rabeprazole), and Ocid® (Omeprazole). Zydus was the first company to introduce Pantoprazole in India in 1999. The launch of Vault® (Vonoprazan) will provide clinicians a novel treatment option to manage GERD and other acid peptic disorders for the Indian population.
Speaking on the development, Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Zydus Lifesciences Ltd., said, “With a rich legacy in marketing gastrointestinal therapies in India, we have been offering different breakthrough clinical options across the spectrum. In keeping with our patient-centric approaches, we have been enabling access to newer treatment options and innovative healthcare solutions over nearly three decades. We are happy to add Vault® to our wide basket of gastro therapeutic products and widen our range of treatments for acid peptic disorders.”
Vonoprazan has a novel mechanism of action and it inhibits the binding of potassium ions to H+K+ ATPase (proton pump) in parietal cells in the stomach, thereby it suppresses basal and stimulated gastric acid secretion. Vonoprazan is approved in India by the DCGI for the treatment of adults with Reflux esophagitis and other Acid Peptic Disorders (APD).
