Lupin in pact to supply TB drug to Brazil

Lupin has entered into an agreement with Farmanguinhos, Brazil's largest state-owned health care company and the department of health of the government of Brazil for the supply of its `4-in1' combination drug (Rifampicin + Isoniazide + Ethambutol + Pyrazinamide), which is used for treatment of tuberculosis.

Lupin will supply the product for the next five years and also provide Farmanguinhos with the needed support for setting up local manufacturing in the future.

With this, Farmanguinhos has also entered into a commitment to produce and supply the `4-in-1' combination drug to the department of health of the government of Brazil. The agreement will result in substantial saving for the Brazilian government, Lupin said in a release.

The `4-in-1' combination reduces the pill burden on the patient drastically, as the treatment lasts at least six months.

As per WHO, the combination pill has helped reduce the pill burden on tuberculosis patients and the treatment abandonment rate has fallen from 8 per cent to around 5 per cent.

WHO estimates that globally there are 9.2 million new cases of tuberculosis each year, resulting in 1.7 million deaths.