Lupin launches IVABRAD

A first-of-its-kind cardiac care drug

A heart-rate lowering drug that reduces the risk of coronary events by 22%

Indian Pharmaceutical Major, Lupin Ltd. announced earlier this week that it has received the DCGI approval to launch India's first selective and specific sinus node If channel inhibitor; IVABRAD (Ivabradine) which is now available in 5 mg & 7.5 mg tablets. IVABRAD comes from Pinnacle, Lupin's marketing division for specialty drugs in India.

Lupin's IVABRAD is a new and innovative approach for the treatment of symptomatic chronic stable angina in CAD patients (Coronary Artery Disease).

Stable angina is a common and disabilitating disease that significantly limits the quality of life of patients. It is observed that the traditional heart rate-lowering agents reduce the myocardial contractility, which is harmful when ventricular function is already impaired. Since the number of existing anti-anginal treatments have limitations and side effects, therefore there is a need for a drug which not only provides pure heart rate reduction without impairing other cardiac functions but also improves stable angina management.
IVABRAD (Ivabradine) is a new clinical entity and the first selective sinus node channel inhibitor which reduces heart rate while maintaining myocardial contractility and Atrioventricular (AV) conduction. It is a new alternative indicated in the treatment of chronic stable angina pectoris in patients with normal sinus rhythm.
"IVABRAD is the latest addition to Lupin's portfolio of innovative complex formulations for the treatment of Cardiovascular diseases" said Shakti P Chakraborty, President - India Region Formulations, Lupin. "Statistics today, suggest an alarming rise in lifestyle diseases in the next few years. Heart diseases and heart attacks have already assumed epidemic proportions in India over the past decade and treatments such as IVABRAD will go a long way towards controlling these diseases," he added.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) of all ailments, the spurt in cardiovascular diseases has been the most steep and rapid. While mortality due to cardiovascular diseases has decreased by 60% in Japan and Finland, 50% in the US and 25% in Canada and Australia it is projected that mortality due to cardiac ailments will in fact increase by 100% in India by 2015. The number of people suffering from heart disease and ailments is expected to become 100 million by the year 2010.

Modernization and Changing lifestyles have contributed to the decline in the average age, when a person may suffer from a heart attack from 40 yrs to 30 yrs. There has been an overall increase in coronary diseases from 6% to 10% in the past decade. The increasing rate of heart diseases amongst the youth is a serious concern as about 5% of the patients who undergo angioplasty and other heart surgeries in the country fall under the age group of 30-35 years.

About Lupin
Headquartered in Mumbai, India, Lupin Limited is an innovation led transnational pharmaceutical company producing a wide range of quality, affordable generic and branded formulations and APIs for the developed and developing markets of the world. The Company has secured global leadership position in Anti-TB and Cephalosporins and has a significant presence in the areas of Cardiovascular (prils and statins), Diabetology, Asthma and NSAIDs.