Torrent Pharma inks licensing pact with Takeda to commercialise GERD drug

Torrent Pharmaceuticals on Wednesday said it has entered a non-exclusive patent licensing agreement with Takeda to commercialise Vonoprazan in India. Vonoprozan is a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), used for the treatment of acid related disorders gastroesophageal reflux disease. Torrent will market Vonoprazan under its own trademark, Kabvie, the drug maker said in a statement.

“I am confident that the launch of Kabvie will aid in reducing the disease burden of GERD and further strengthen our gastrointestinal offerings, augmenting our position as a leading player within the Indian pharmaceutical market,” Torrent Director Aman Mehta said.

As per a 2019 study published by the Indian Journal of Gastroenterology prevalence of GERD in Indian population is around 8.2 per cent with a higher prevalence of around 11.1 per cent in urban population.

According to AWACS MAT April 2024 data, the Indian market for treatments used in GERD is valued at Rs 8,064 crore, growing at 8 per cent CAGR over the last four years.

Currently treatments such as Pantoprazole (Proton Pump Inhibitors) are used to treat GERD. Availability of P-CABs such as Kabvie will make accessible new and effective treatments of GERD for the Indian population, Torrent Pharma stated.