SpicyIP Tidbit: Insulin Drug Lantus Now in India

Quoting Aventis Pharma Managing Director Shailesh Ayyangar, The Hindu, reports that Solostar, a disposable version of the insulin drug Lantus has been launched in India by Aventis Pharma just 16 months after its launch in Germany. The report also mentions that Indian diabetic population is second to none making it the diabetes capital of the world. Lantus has a market share of 7 per cent in India with the worth of the Indian insulin market pegged at Rs 400 crore and growing 24 per cent annually

Further, the report adds:

The market for Lantus in India is at Rs 27 crore growing at 80 per cent per annum. Solostar is priced at Rs 884.
Aventis Pharma has opened a research and development centre in Goa at an investment of Rs 100 crore. "This centre would come out with off-patent molecules, drugs and combination drugs. We are targeting to get 12 compounds in a year from this centre," Ayyangar said.
The global pharma company is looking to tap new markets in India. "We are open to inorganic growth to tap tier II cities and rural markets," he said.
"We don't have products needed to enter these markets. So, we are open to partnerships and acquisitions," he said.
Aventis would be looking at anti infectives and cough syrup segments in the new markets.