JB Pharma cuts price of heart failure drug Azmarda by 50 per cent

HYDERABAD: JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (JB Pharma), announced a substantial price decrease of approximately 50% for the critical heart failure drug “Azmarda”. 

Azmarda, which contains the patented molecule Saccubutril-Valsartan is indicated for heart failure which ails 8 to 12 million people in the country.  After the price reduction, Azmarda 50 mg will be available at INR 39.6 per tablet as compared to Rs. 78 per tablet.

The price reduction will increase the affordability, making the management of heart failure accessible for people. This move by JB will not only help reduce the cost of treatment but will also help enhance the productive years of patients and their quality of life.

As per IQVIA, MAT Sep 22 data Saccubutril- Valsartan is now a Rs. 500+ crore market with a 3-year CAGR of 30%. The molecule is currently patented by Novartis AG, Switzerland and four companies including Novartis are serving the Indian market. The molecule is expected to go off-patent in January 2023.  

Presently Azmarda is the third largest brand in the category capturing 17% market share with IQVIA MAT OCT’22 sales of Rs. 93.5 crores.  In April 2022, JB Pharma acquired the Azmarda brand from Novartis AG, Switzerland for the India region for a consideration of Rs. 246 crores.

Commenting on the move, Dilip Singh Rathore, President – Domestic Business, JB Pharma, said, “Being a leading player in the cardiac segment, JB has decided to take the lead in making their Azmarda drug more accessible and affordable for heart failure patients in India. This is in line with our strategy of providing innovative and quality treatment to a larger patient pool at the most affordable price points. This move will significantly reduce the overall monthly treatment cost from Rs. 4500 to Rs. 2200. The HF drug also helps in reducing hospitalization cost by around Rs. 1,00,000 at the minimum. The drug with reduced MRP is available to consumers from December 2022.

“Heart Failure is a devastating condition and it’s important to increase awareness about the condition. In that regard, we will also institute20+ ‘Heart failure’ clinics in Telangana, and 300+ across the country so that patients can detect this medical condition early and make informed health decisions,”added Mr Rathore.