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In a breakthrough in breast cancer treatment, pharma major Zydus Cadila (Cadila Healthcare Limited) on Monday announced the launch of Trastuzumab Emtansine, the first Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) biosimilar, which is considered a highly effective drug for treating both early and advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. The company launched the product under the brand name ‘Ujvira’.
The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer is considered an aggressive form and constitutes 20 to 25% of all breast cancers, the company informed, adding that its new product can reduce the treatment cost by almost 80 per cent.
Reduced cost
As against the current MRP of existing Trastuzumab Emtansine drug at ₹1,59,225 for 100 mg vial, Ujvira will be available at ₹32,495 for 100 mg vial. The drug is also being offered in 160 mg vial.
Dr Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Cadila Healthcare Limited said, “The launch of Ujvira reinforces the innovation capabilities that India has to be able to create complex therapies like ADCs and Zydus ongoing commitment to offer breakthroughs backed by science and innovation. This research breakthrough enables access to a critical drug for patients who are undergoing therapy for breast cancer."
He further said that with the help of this innovation, patients will be able to adhere to the treatment and stand to benefit from the advanced technology without worrying about the cost of the treatment.
Trastuzumab Emtansine ADC biosimilar is a developmental breakthrough due to its complexity in manufacturing and similarity assays. The drug is made by combining Trastuzumab and a cytotoxic compound Emtansine (DM1) with the help of a stable linker by a process called Antibody Drug Conjugation.
Due to this technology the targeted delivery of the cytotoxic agent is enabled and the other toxicities on body are reduced. Ujvira is backed up with rigorous drug development programme. Patients already treated with Trastuzumab may still have the disease and would require this therapy as the next step, an official statement said.
With more than 2.1 lakh new cases in 2020, breast cancer is the leading cancer in females in India and the risk increases with age. It is estimated that 1 in 29 women in India has a risk of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. Though rare, the incidence of HER2 breast cancer is also found in men. Other risk factors such as obesity, family history, genetics, alcohol, smoking, hormonal imbalance and improper diet have been identified as the contributing factors towards an increased incidence of breast cancer, it added.
Cadila Healthcare shares gained by 2.24 per cent in early trades to ₹626.40 on BSE on Monday.
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