There is good news for millions of Indians suffering from diabetes. That is, the price of diabetes medicines will be reduced by up to 85 percent. This will bring relief to more than 10 crore Indians in the country.

Yes, the diabetes medicine empagliflozin, which was sold at a high price till now, will soon be sold by domestic pharmaceutical companies at a very cheap price.

In fact, the patent of German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim will expire on March 11. With this, Indian companies will release the diabetes medicine empagliflozin under their own brand. These include Mankind Pharma, Torrent, Alkem, Dr. Major pharmaceutical companies like Dr. Reddy’s and Lupin are among them. What is remarkable is that Mankind Pharma is reportedly preparing to sell this medicine at a 90 percent lower price.

Most effective medicine for diabetes

Empagliflozin is used to treat diabetes and other related diseases like heart disease and chronic kidney disease. Over 101 million people in India suffer from diabetes, which is bought at a high price when it is effective. But now that the patent of the German company is about to expire, patients will get a big relief.

Crores of Indians are benefiting from the price cut.

According to experts, empagliflozin is used to prevent heart failure and reduce kidney damage. However, due to its high price, it has been available to only a limited number of patients so far. But now that Indian companies are selling it at a lower price, it will be a boon to millions. It is said that this price cut will significantly impact the diabetes drug market in India. Because the diabetes drug market, which was worth Rs 14,000 crore in 2021, has increased to around Rs 20,000 crore today. Therefore, the price cut will have a huge impact on the market.

Their own APIs from Indian companies

According to a report in the Times of India, Torrent Pharmaceuticals has already purchased three branded empagliflozin drugs from Boehringer Ingelheim. At the same time, by using high-quality raw materials (USFDA certified) and manufacturing their own API (active pharmaceutical ingredient), their costs have been further reduced, sources at Mankind Pharma said.

The financial burden of diabetes in India is already high and due to limited insurance coverage, many patients pay out of pocket for their medicines. In such a situation, the huge reduction in the price of empagliflozin is a big relief for diabetic patients.