31 May 2008
New Delhi, India
By Rupali Mukherjee
Single pill for all lifestyle ailments
PillClinical trials to establish safety and efficacy of the drug have been completed in India and the pill will be introduced in the domestic market soon.
“We have completed the trials in India and the data is under compilation. We have applied to the Drug Controller for marketing approval”, an executive of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories said. The polypill may become a breakthrough therapy as globally there is no such combination available in a single pill, which treats hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases.
Cardiovascular diseases are the world’s leading killer, accounting for over 17 million or 30% of total global deaths. In India, over 10 crore people are hypertensive, while, with a projected 57.2 million patients by 2025, India has already emerged as the diabetes capital of the world.
The combination includes four formulations–atenolol (beta blocker), lisnopril (ACE inhibitor), aspirin, and simvastatin (cholesterol lowering) are believed to have reduced the risk of cardiovascular diseases by more than 80%.
The polypill includes generic versions of established medicines–a cholesterol–lowering statin, an ACE inhibitor (Angiotensin–Converting Enzyme) for reducing blood pressure, aspirin and atenolol (beta blocker). A statin would reduce high levels of bad ‘LDL’ cholesterol slashing the risk of heart disease, while blood pressure lowering drugs would reduce the risk of stroke.
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