Sun Pharma to launch Brillo®, a first-in-class oral lipid-lowering drug in India

·      Bempedoic Acid has a new mechanism of action compared to existing products

·      Bempedoic Acid administered as a 180-mg dose, is approved by the US FDA and European Union for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia 

by Priya J

Mumbai, May, 2022: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (Reuters: SUN.BO, Bloomb: SUNP IN, NSE: SUNPHARMA, BSE: 524715, “Sun Pharma” and includes its subsidiaries and/or associate companies) today announced that one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries plans to launch a first-in-class oral drug, Bempedoic Acid, in India for reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The company will launch the drug under the brand name “Brillo^®”.

Brillo^® is a first-in-class drug which has a new mechanism of action compared to the currently available lipid-lowering agents. It is indicated for people who have an inherited genetic disorder that causes high cholesterol levels or established heart disease where cholesterol levels remain high, despite lifestyle changes and the use of maximum tolerated dose of statins.

Kirti Ganorkar, CEO – India Business, Sun Pharma said, “Sun Pharma is the leader in the cardiovascular segment and a pioneer in lipid-lowering therapy in India. In line with our commitment to introducing novel products, we are launching this first-in-class oral drug, Brillo^®. It is a novel treatment option that will help manage high LDL cholesterol in patients with heart diseases, a condition which is growing at an alarming rate.”

One in four deaths in India is now because of heart diseases, with ischemic heart disease and stroke responsible for >80% of this burden.1 These diseases tend to affect patients in the most productive years of their lives and result in catastrophic social and economic consequences.²

The burden of heart disease at 272 per 1,00,000 population in India is higher than the global average of 235 per 1,00,000 population¹. Some patients with elevated cholesterol levels may respond inadequately to statins. There also a set of patients who are intolerant to statins. Bempedoic acid can be a useful treatment option for such patients. The launch of Brillo^® will address this significant unmet need in India.

As per SMSRC Feb-2022 data, Sun Pharma is ranked No. 1 by prescriptions amongst Cardiologists in India. With a strong product portfolio and leading prescription brands like Aztor, Storvas, Rozavel and Rosuvas, Sun Pharma’s Cardiology division constantly strives to provide innovative solutions to patients and health care providers in India.

As per IMS MAT Jan 2022 data, the size of the statin market in India is approximately Rs. 43,000 million.

About Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (CIN - L24230GJ1993PLC019050):Sun Pharma is the world's fourth-largest specialty generic pharmaceutical company and India's top pharmaceutical company. A vertically integrated business and a skilled team enables it to deliver high-quality products, trusted by customers and patients in over 100 countries across the world, at affordable prices. Its global presence is supported by manufacturing facilities spread across 6 continents and approved by multiple regulatory agencies, coupled with a multi-cultural workforce comprising over 50 nationalities. Sun Pharma fosters excellence through innovation supported by strong R&D capabilities across multiple R&D centers, with investments of approximately 6% of annual revenues in R&D. For further information, please visit www.sunpharma.com & follow us on Twitter @SunPharma_Live.

References:

1. Prabhakaran D, Jeemon P, Roy A. Cardiovascular diseases in India: Current epidemiology and future directions.Circulation 2016; 133:1605-20.

2. India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative CVD Collaborators. The changing patterns of cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors in the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2016. Lancet Glob Health. 2018;6:e1339–e1351. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30407-8