Indian generic drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories to launch own-brand abacavir

Ranbaxy Laboratories, India’s largest drug maker in terms of sales, has launched a new antiretroviral drug, which is a generic formulation of a patented medication made by GlaxoSmithKline, Dow Jones International News reports.

The Ranbaxy drug, which is equivalent to GSK’s abacavir (Ziagen), will be sold under the brand name Virol in 300 milligram tablets. According to a Ranbaxy spokesperson, the drug, which is taken twice a day, will cost about $136 a month, with an Indian market size of approximately $6.3 million. “The company will be able to carve out a sizable share of the market as most other drugs in currency are older molecules,” Sri Hari, a pharmaceutical analyst with Mumbai-based brokerage Khandwala Securities, said. The antiretroviral drug market in India is about $31.4 million a year, with Indian drug makers Aurobindo Pharma and Cipla playing large roles (Dow Jones International News).