Sun Pharma launches ready-to-use anti-cancer drug forms in Europe

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, India's largest drug maker, today commenced the rollout of InfuSMART, which the company claims is the world's first ready-to-administer versions of anti-cancer drug gemcitabine.

The ready-to-use bags of gemcitabine will be made available in six European countries, including the Netherlands, UK, Spain, Germany, Italy and France, over the next six months, Sun Pharma stated in a release.

The company said the product that will be available in a ready-to-use bag, will save time and offer convenience and safety for both the patient and the drug administrator.

"As part of its business strategy to build a meaningful and differentiating presence in global oncology therapy market, Sun Pharma today announced rollout of Gemcitabine InfuSMART in Europe. InfuSMART is a technology in which oncology products are developed in a ready-to-administer (RTA) bag," the company said in a BSE filing.

"Until now, compounding of oncology products was done at compounding centres or compounded in hospital pharmacies, an extra step before the medicine can be administered to patients.

"Sun Pharma's Gemcitabine InfuSMART ready-to-administer infusion products provide the combined advantage of long stable compounded medicine along with safety,'' Sun Pharma business head - Western Europe and ANZ, Hellen de Kloet, said, adding, ''Traditionally, such medicines are compounded at hospitals (in-house) or outsourced to compounding pharmacies, making it a time-consuming and potentially hazardous process."

Kloet added, "Launch of InfuSMART will help us remain a meaningful player in the global oncology therapy market by offering differentiating cancer treatment solutions. We believe there are opportunities for us to expand our portfolio of ready-to-administer products across multiple therapies where time and safety are an important element of treatment."

Sun Pharma has received regulatory approval to produce Gemcitabine InfuSMART in eight key SKUs (stock keeping units).

"More InfuSMART oncology products are currently in Sun Pharma's pipeline to be rolled out in future," it added.

With the rollout of Gemcitabine InfuSMART, Sun Pharma said it has become "the world's first pharmaceutical company to manufacture and launch a licensed RTA oncology product".