Mankind Pharma Teams Up with Takeda to Bring New Acidity Drug to India

Mankind Pharma announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Japanese drug maker Takeda to market the acidity drug Vonoprazan in India. This agreement lets Mankind Pharma sell the drug, which is used to treat Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), under its own brand name.

Vonoprazan, a potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), is effective in treating several acid-related conditions such as GERD, gastric and duodenal ulcers, peptic ulcers, reflux oesophagitis, and Helicobacter pylori infections.

Mankind Pharma is focusing on licensing deals to introduce innovative therapies and boost its domestic market. The company has previously signed agreements with Novartis for heart failure drug Neptaz and AstraZeneca for the inhaled corticosteroid Symbicort.

Indian pharmaceutical companies like Mankind are increasingly using in-licensing agreements to sell and distribute new drugs from multinational companies, paying royalties on sales. This strategy helps MNCs expand their reach in the Indian market using local companies’ extensive sales networks.

“Our goal with Vonoprazan is to meet a critical medical need and offer a better quality of life for those with acid-related issues,” said M Ramesh, EVP of Global Business Development at Mankind Pharma.