NEW DELHI, May 13: Global pharmaceutical major Eli Lilly and Company will roll out in India this month its Lormalzi injection indicated for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease with mild cognitive impairment or those in the mild dementia stage of disease, a senior company official said on Wednesday.
The company is bringing the injectable therapy in India at a time when the number of people living with dementia, a vast majority of those with Alzheimer’s disease, is expected to double by 2036 to over 19 million, Eli Lilly and Company (India) President and General Manager, Winselow Tucker told PTI.
According to the company, Lormalzi (donanemab, 350 mg/20 ml IV vial) is the first and only once monthly amyloid plaque targeting therapy.
Amyloid is a protein produced naturally in the body that can clump together to create amyloid plaques. The excessive buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain may lead to memory and thinking issues associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The prescription-only drug, Lormalzi can help the body remove the excessive buildup of amyloid plaques and slow the decline that may diminish people’s cognitive ability, it added.
When asked about prices, Tucker said,”The pricing is going to be Rs 91,688 per month for a 350 milligram vial but what is also important is that we will be having an alternative access program to try to provide broader access for patients who are eligible in India.”
He said unlike other products that are available in the marketplace which “impact the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease”, Lormalzi is “the first product that will be launched as a disease modifying monthly product that has a finite period of duration treatment and that’s an important part”.
It targets the amyloid plaque in the brain and it is given for 18 months, he said, adding “so this is not a lifelong therapy”.
On the timeline for the market roll out of the injection, he said,”This is going to be in the marketplace this month…Within the next couple of weeks or so, definitely, this month…it (will be) available for patients.”
Commenting on the potential of the product in India, he said,”As we bring it to India, there are about 8.8 million people today who are living with dementia, the vast majority of those (are) Alzheimer’s disease. That is expected to double by 2036….”
Tucker further said,”So this is an opportunity for us to launch a disease modifying product for early symptomatic disease, which is confirmed with amyloid pathology. It is not just addressing the symptoms of the disease, but removing the plaque, which reduces the progression of the disease over time and how that disease progresses.”
Stressing that Lormalzi is “a really important product” for the company, he said,”It is part of our strategy to bring innovation to India, which makes a meaningful difference for diseases that are impacting people living in India today…”
The company has received marketing authorisation for Lormalzi from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease with mild cognitive impairment or those in the mild dementia stage of disease. (PTI)
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