New drug to fight cancer and hepatitis

The producer of India's first indigenous Hepatitis-B vaccine, the Hyderabad-based Shantha Biotechnics Private Ltd Thursay launched India's first indigenous recombinant human interferon alpha under brand name 'Shanferon', a drug to fight cancer and viral hepatitis.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu formally launched the product, which is claimed to be about 40 per cent cheaper than the international brands available in the market. 'Shanferon' has an added advantage because of high safety and tolerability seen in clinical trials, the Chairman and Managing Director of the company Varaprasad Reddy was quoted by the Indian news agency PTI as telling reporters.

Interferons are primarily used to treat chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (cancer), chronic forms of Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C. They act by binding to specific cell surface receptors and inhibit the expression of numerous genes. It was estimated that only two out of every ten patients in the country, who were prescribed interferon, could actually afford it because of the high cost of imported products.

"We aim to offer the product at a price 40 per cent lower than the prevailing market price to make it affordable to many more patients," Reddy said. The company was planning to produce two million doses to begin with and was also looking at export opportunities, he said adding that the present global market, worth US$ 1.8 Billion, was dominated by two major brands.