Lupin Expands Branded Play

MUMBAI and BALTIMORE, August 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Announces Acquisition of Exclusive US Rights to Alinia® for Oral Suspension

Pharmaceutical Major, Lupin Ltd. and its US subsidiary, Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (collectively Lupin) announced today that it has signed a strategic licensing agreement with US pharmaceutical company Romark Laboratories, L.C. (Romark) which grants Lupin exclusive rights to promote, distribute and market Alinia® (nitazoxanide) for Oral Suspension in the US.

Alinia® (nitazoxanide) is the first thiazolide approved by the FDA for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium and Giardia and is the only FDA-approved treatment for Cryptosporidium. Alinia® for Oral Suspension is indicated for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia or Cryptosporidium parvum in patients 1 year of age and older. These are the two most common protozoal causes of diarrhea in the developed and developing world.

Use of Alinia® suspension in children is facilitated by relatively simple dosing and administration; a strawberry flavored suspension given twice a day for three days (100mg BID for ages 1 - 3 and 200mg BID for ages 4 - 11).

According to the Centers 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. Cryptosporidium is one of the most frequent causes of waterborne disease among humans in the United States. Pediatric diarrhea is a major complaint in more than 10% of office visits for children less than 3 years of age, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Over 300,000 children under five years of age are hospitalized with gastroenteritis annually. Pediatric diarrhea is often left untreated based on limited treatment options (no other product is indicated for children < 3 years of age).  Older children are sometimes treated with flouroquinolones (e.g., CIPRO), cephalosporins (e.g., SUPRAX) and metronidazole. The cost of care for diarrhea-related illness exceeds USD 2 billion each year according to AAP.

Alinia® for Oral Suspension will not only enable Lupin to strengthen its existing Brand portfolio but also expand its offering specifically, but not limited to the US Pediatrics segment. Key prescribers for Alinia® include pediatricians, pediatric, gastroenterologists and primary care physicians which are strategic customer groups for Lupin, so we are well positioned to capitalize on this opportunity. Lupin's current 160+ strong brands sales force will promote Alinia® for Oral suspension in the US market. The product will be marketed along with Lupin's Suprax® and Antara®.

"We are very excited with the addition of Alinia® for Oral Suspension to our Brands portfolio. The agreement demonstrates Lupin's commitment to grow its brand franchise in the US and bring meaningful products to the Pediatric community.   Our sales and marketing efforts will commence immediately and we are optimistic that Alinia will contribute to our growth and profitability in the coming quarters and years." said Vinita Gupta, CEO, Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Group President, Lupin Limited.

About Lupin Limited

Headquartered in Mumbai, Lupin is an innovation led transnational pharmaceutical company producing and developing a wide range of branded and generic formulations and APIs globally. The Company is a significant player in the Cardiovascular, Diabetology, Asthma, Pediatric, CNS, GI, Anti-Infective and NSAID space and holds global leadership positions in the Anti-TB and Cephalosporin segment.

Lupin is the 5th largest and fastest growing top 5 generics player in the US (5.3% market share by prescriptions, IMS Health) and the 3rd largest Indian pharmaceutical company by sales. The Company is also the fastest growing top 10 generic pharmaceutical players in Japan and South Africa (IMS).

For the financial year ended March 2013, Lupin's Consolidated turnover and Profit after Tax were Rs. 94,616 million (USD 1.74 billion) and Rs. 13,142 million (USD 242 million) respectively. Please visit http://www.lupinworld.com for more information.

Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Lupin Limited.  Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is dedicated to delivering high-quality, affordable generic medicines and branded formulations trusted by healthcare professionals and patients across geographies. For more information, visit http://www.lupinpharmaceuticals.com

For further information or queries please contact -
Shamsher Gorawara
Head - Corporate Communications
Lupin Limited
Ph: +91-98-20-338-555
Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Lupin Ltd