India becomes the first country to get access to innovative new treatment for type-2 diabetes with Remogliflozin.
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has become the first organisation to commercialise the drug Remogliflozin. Following successful phase 3 clinical trials and approval, India has become the first country in the world to benefit from Glenmark’s patent-protected drug. According to the International Diabetes Federation, around 73 million adults are currently living with diabetes in India, with that number expected to rise to 134 million by 2045 [1], so the benefits to health could be huge.
Remogliflozin is a sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor. These inhibitors are at the cutting-edge of anti-diabetes research; taken orally, they are insulin-independent at work by blocking the reabsorption of glucose in the kidneys. Our kidneys normally reabsorb approximately 90% of the body’s glucose, but Remogliflozin encourages them to excrete it in our urine instead, thereby lowering blood sugar levels. This also promotes weight loss and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, because the sugars are removed, rather than retained.
Longevity.Technology: Glenmark have chosen wisely – India is in desperate need of diabetes therapy and also provides an excellent data set for improving treatment. Everyone should benefit from its competitive price point, shareholders and patients alike.
The TRL score for this Longevity.Technology domain is currently set at: ‘Early proof of concept demonstrated in the laboratory.’
The TRL score for the technology addressed in this article is: ‘Technology has completed initial trials and demonstrates preliminary safety data.’
“Globally, SGLT2 inhibitors are emerging as a preferred treatment management of type-2 diabetes and Glenmark is proud to introduce a novel molecule in this class,” said Sujesh Vasudecan, the region’s President at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals [2].
Both the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes have recommended SGLT2 inhibitors as an ideal second-line agent and an alternative front-line treatment to the most common diabetes treatment: metformin [3]. Some patients cannot tolerate metformin because it can cause adverse gastrointestinal side-effects. SGLT2 inhibitors also reduce cardiovascular risks, so are recommended for use in patients who might have previously suffered a heart attack or stroke.
Citing IQVIA data, Glenmark pharma estimates India’s diabetes market to be worth $1.63 billion, with the market share of SGLT2 inhibitors to be worth $82 million. By introducing Remogliflozin into the market, Glenmark hopes to improve access to SGLT2 inhibitors and therefore increase their contribution to the market.
As well as being good news for diabetes sufferers medically, Remogliflozin is good news for their bank balances too; the therapy is set to lower the cost of diabetes treatment by nearly 60%, costing Rs 25 per day, rather than the Rs 55-60 cost of other oral diabetic treatments [4].
In a country like India, where over 73 million people have diabetes, half of them unknowingly [5], finding an effective and cheap treatment could dramatically improve lifespan and healthspan. Remogliflozin makes economic sense too, as its price point will make it the go-to diabetes therapy of choice. Perhaps, like diabetic treatment drug metformin, Remogliflozin will also demonstrate Longevity promise. We at Longevity.Technology will be watching its progress with interest.
