Drug-maker Lupin has signed a licensing agreement with US pharmaceutical company Romark Laboratories to market the oral suspension version of Romark’s Alinia (nitazoxanide) in the US.
Alinia is used in the treatment of diarrhoea caused by cryptosporidium and giardia – two common protozoal infections in children over one year.
Use of Alinia suspension in children is facilitated by relatively simple dosing and administration; a strawberry flavoured suspension given twice a day for three days, Lupin said.
According to the Center of Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) it is estimated that there are 1.2 million cases of Giardiasis and 750,000 cases of Cryptosporidiosis in the US annually, although many cases go undiagnosed, the note added. Cryptosporidium is one of the most frequent causes of waterborne disease among humans in the United States, the company said.
Over 300,000 children under five years of age are hospitalised with gastroenteritis annually. Paediatric diarrhoea is often left untreated based on limited treatment options (no other product is indicated for children <3 years of age), it added.
Older children are sometimes treated with flouroquinolones (eg, Cipro), cephalosporins (eg Suprax) and metronidazole. The cost of care for diarrhoea-related illness exceeds $2 billion each year, according to the American Academy of Paediatrics.
Key prescribers for Alinia include paediatricians, paediatric, gastroenterologists and primary care physicians, who are strategic customer groups for Lupin, so the company is well positioned to capitalise on this opportunity, it said.
Lupin’s 160-plus strong brands sales force will promote Alinia suspension in the US market. The product will be marketed along with Lupin’s Suprax and Antara.
The latest agreement demonstrates Lupin’s commitment to grow its brand franchise in the US and bring meaningful products to the paediatric community, said Vinita Gupta, Chief Executive, Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Group President, Lupin Ltd.
The sales and marketing efforts will commence immediately and Alinia will contribute to Lupin’s growth and profitability in the coming quarters and years, she added.
jyothi.datta@thehindu.co.in