• 11/16/2004
  • New Delhi, India
  • no attribution
  • indianexpress.com

Biotech major Biocon Limited today said its first cancer drug will be ready to hit the Indian market late next year. The drug is currently in advanced second-phase clinical trials at Bangalore’s Kidwai Oncology Institute.

“Our cancer antibody, Thera HR3, is expected to launch late next year in India. It is currently in phase II B clinical trials and has demonstrated very good tumour regression. It has displayed none of the skin reactions common in patients undergoing chemotherapy,” said Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at its launch of Insugen, a new insulin product.

Thera HR3 is the first of six cancer drugs in Biocon’s product pipeline. The drug will target head and neck cancer, which afflicts 90 per cent of India’s cancer patients.

“Head and neck cancer includes mouth, tongue, jaws, pharynx and other parts affected by tobacco chewing, cigarette smoking and poor dental hygiene,” said Dr AS Arvind, CEO, Clinigene International Ltd, a division of Biocon.

Thera HR3 trials are the first of their kind in India, with the EGF-receptor based drug being paced through development in collaboration with Cuba’s C Map. It is to be used in combination with radiology and chemotherapy, said Arvind.

Biocon’s five other oncology drugs include three vaccines to suppress relapses in cancer patients and two that target colon, breast, chest and other forms of cancer. No timelines were discussed for these drugs.