'Heart failure is no longer Life failure' as JB Pharma decreases price of critical Heart Failure medicine AZMARDA (Sacubitril-Valsartan) by nearly 50 per cent

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 5 (ANI/PRNewswire): JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (JB Pharma), one of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical companies in India, announced a substantial price decrease of approximately 50 per cent 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 (Saccubutril-Valsartan), 50 mg will be available at Rs 39.6 per tablet as compared to Rs 78 per tablet.
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. With this move, the overall monthly treatment cost will reduce significantly from Rs 4500 to Rs 2200. The HF drug also helps in reducing hospitalization cost by around Rs 1,00,000 at the minimum."
He further added, "Heart Failure is a devastating condition and it's important to also increase awareness about the condition. Thus, JB will also institute over 300+ 'Heart failure' clinics across the country so that patients are able to detect the condition early and make informed health decisions."
Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart doesn't pump blood as well as it should. It is a progressive chronic syndrome characterised by a decrease in functional status and quality of life. Blood often backs up and causes fluid to build up in the lungs (congest) and in the legs. The fluid build-up can cause shortness of breath and swelling of the legs and feet. It is estimated that 8-12 million people in the country suffer from heart failure (HF) as a condition. It often remains undiagnosed, and patients become aware of it mostly at the end-stage. Approximately 80-90 per cent of patients have Left Ventricular HF with a nearly even (50-50) split between HFrEF (Heart Failure Reduced Ejection Fraction) and HFpEF (Heart Failure Preserved Ejection Fraction). Given incidences of hospitalization and high mortality, HF is a specialist-driven condition (50-70 per cent of the patient pool is with Cardiologists and 5-10 per cent with Diabetologists). In India, HF affects a relatively younger population compared to the western world. 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.
HF patients were traditionally prescribed only ARBs (Angiotensin Receptor Blockers) / AI (Ace Inhibitors) as the main medication. Sacubitril+ Valsartan, launched in 2017, is considered superior to ARBs/AIs in raising EF (Ejection Fraction), hence highly effective for HFrEF patients. Sacubitril+ Valsartan is currently prescribed to 30-35 per cent of HFrEF patients while doctors believe the share can go up to 50-65 per cent with the right pricing.
As per IQVIA, MAT Sep 22 data Saccubutril- Valsartan is now a Rs 500+ crores market with a 3-year CAGR of ~30 per cent. The molecule is presently patented by Novartis AG, Switzerland and currently, 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 per cent market share with IQVIA MAT OCT'22 sales of Rs 93.5 crores. In April' 22, JB Pharma acquired the Azmarda brand from Novartis AG, Switzerland for the India region for a consideration of Rs 246 crores.
JB Pharma, established in 1976, is one of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical companies in India and a leading player in the hypertension segment. Besides its strong India presence, which accounts for majority of its revenue, its other two home markets are Russia and South Africa. In India, the company has five brands among the top 300 IPM brands in the country. The company exports its finished formulations to over 40 countries including the USA. Besides supplying branded generic formulations to several countries, it is also a leader in the manufacturing of medicated lozenges. The company ranks among the top 5 manufacturers globally in medicated and herbal lozenges. It has seven state of the art manufacturing facilities in India including a dedicated manufacturing facility for lozenges. The manufacturing facilities are certified by leading regulators across the world.
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