Eli Lilly and India’s Cipla enter deal on diabetes treatments
pharmafile | October 4, 2021 | News story | Business Services, Sales and Marketing |
Eli Lilly and Mumbai-based Cipla have announced a deal in which Cipla will sell and distribute two of Lilly’s best-selling diabetes treatments in India, the companies said in a joint statement on Monday.
Lilly will transfer its rights in India to sell, promote and distribute its Trulicity (dulaglutide) and Humalog (insulin lispro) products, while continuing to maintain its existing operating model for the remaining portfolio of its products.
India has the second highest number of people suffering from diabetes in the world, 70 million adults, and this deal will enable Cipla to expand access to the drugs.
Trulicity, a once-weekly shot to control blood sugar throughout the week, is Lilly’s best-selling drug, bringing in sales of $1.54 billion in the second quarter. Humalog, a fast-acting insulin injection, is also a key part of its diabetes portfolio.
Lilly will continue to maintain its existing operating model for the remaining portfolio of products, and Cipla will leverage its distribution network and doctor-connect through its sales force to expand the reach of Lilly’s insulins.
Luca Visini, Managing Director of the Indian subcontinent, Lilly India, said: “Developing strategic partnerships to adopt different operating models is key to enabling Lilly’s global efforts to make innovative medicines available to more people in India and around the world.
“Today, we are proud to be announcing our partnership with Cipla, which, pending full regulatory approvals, will hold the rights to sell, market, and distribute select Lilly Diabetes portfolio products. Cipla has a strong local footprint and is well established to expand access to those medicines around India.”
Lilly has had similar tie-ups in India for its diabetes products, for example, in 2018 it announced a tie-up with Lupin for its weekly diabetes injection Aplevant.
Vikas Gupta, head of the India Prescription Business for Cipla, said: “Diabetes continues to be our key focus and this deal further strengthens our steadfast commitment to address the unmet needs of diabetes patients through a comprehensive portfolio of offerings in this space.”
Lilly is one of the “Big Three” in insulin play globally. Currently, only three companies — Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and Eli Lilly — supply insulin to patients in the US. These three companies, commonly called the Big Three, control over 90% of the global insulin market. The remaining share of the global insulin market is split among about seven manufacturers.
Kat Jenkins
