<div><strong>CH Unnikrishnan</strong></div><div> </div><div>Local drug maker Lupin Ltd and German drug multinational Boehringer Ingelheim on Wednesday (14 October) signed a strategic alliance for co-marketing the latter’s new diabetes management drug linagliptin in India. With this alliance, Lupin will market and sell this Boerhinger drug formulation under a separate brand name Ondero. Boehringer, which has a strong presence in this anti-diabetes therapy segment in the domestic market, will continue to sell its linagliptin under the brand names Trajenta.</div><div> </div><div>Both the companies will also co-market the brand extension Ondero Met and TrajentaDuo (a combination of linagliptin and metformin) in India, using their existing field forces dedicated to diabetes portfolio.</div><div> </div><div>Anti-diabetes is currently one of the large and fastest growing therapy segment in the Indian pharmaceutical market. This market segment, which grows at a rate of around 20 per cent annually, is estimated to be worth Rs 7,655 crore at present.</div><div> </div><div>Lupin is amongst the fastest growing players in the oral anti-diabetes drugs and insulin market. This segment with a 6.44 per cent market share, contributes at least 15 per cent of Lupin’s formulation business revenue in India. </div><div> </div><div>“This alliance will help us consolidate our position as a market leader and the fastest growing player in the top 5 in the anti-diabetes segment in India,” said Lupin group president (India formulation business) Shakti Chakraborty.</div><div> </div><div>While, Boehringer India managing director Sharad Tyagi said that the partnership with Lupin is aligned with our commitment towards addressing challenges in treatment of chronic ailments like diabetes by providing broader access to innovative medicines in the country.</div><div> </div><div>Lupin has similar marketing alliances in diabetes segment with a couple of other foreign drug makers including US pharma and biotechnology major Eli Lilly.</div>
