Drugmakers Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Zydus Lifesciences have entered into a licensing agreement to co-market Desidustat, an oral treatment for anemia associated with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

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The agreement allows Sun Pharma semi-exclusive rights to co-market the Zydus product in India, a joint note said. Zydus will receive upfront licensing income and is eligible to receive milestone income based on achievement of pre-defined milestones, they added.

Sun Pharma will sell the drug as RYTSTAT, while Zydus has been selling it as Oxemia since 2022 and will continue to market it. The clinical development programme of Desidustat was one of the largest trials of its kind in India for anemia in CKD patients, conducted in over 1200 subjects, the note said.

Desidustat provides CKD patients with an oral, convenient therapeutic option for the treatment of anemia. Kirti Ganorkar, Sun Pharma’s Chief Executive (India Business) said the addition of the drug strengthened its nephrology portfolio in India. A Zydus Lifesciences spokesperson added, the drug was was a critical treatment options for CKD patients, and had improved the patients’ quality of life since it was oral and convenient to take, as compared to an injection.

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More than 115 million people in India suffer from CKD, predicted to become one of the most common causes of premature death by 2040 globally, the note said, adding that patients with CKD often battled with chronic fatigue caused by anemia. “To address this, patients need to take injectable Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (ESAs) about twice weekly. There was a long felt need for an oral, safer alternative to ESAs,” the note said.

CKD is a progressive medical condition characterized by a gradual loss of kidney function, usually accompanied by other comorbidities including anemia, cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, heart failure and stroke), diabetes mellitus, eventually leading to kidney failure, the note said, adding that patients were often on multiple medications.