Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has become the first to launch a fixed dose combination of teneligliptin and dapagliflozin to treat adults with type 2 diabetes.

The combination drug, sold on a doctor’s prescription, contains teneligliptin (20mg) and dapagliflozin (5 mg or 10mg, respectively) and is to be taken once a day to improve glycemic control and prevent complications in adult patients with type 2 diabetes, especially those with other comorbidities, the company said..

Sold under the brand name Zita D, the combination drug is priced at ₹14 per tablet (teneligliptin 20mg + dapagliflozin 5mg), and ₹15 per tablet (teneligliptin 20 mg + dapagliflozin 10 mg).

Alok Malik, Executive Vice-President and Business Head (India Formulations), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, pointed out that diabetes is growing in India at an alarming rate, with eight out of 10 diabetic patients presenting comorbidities.

Health information technology and clinical research company IQVIA estimates the market for oral anti‐diabetic drugs to be about ₹11,796 crore for the 12 months upto September 2022, up seven per cent from the corresponding period last year.