Dr Reddy’s launches immuno-oncology drug Toripalimab in India for treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma

New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI) Dr Reddy's Laboratories on Thursday said it has launched Toripalimab, a drug for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma in India.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare, aggressive form of head and neck cancer that originates in the nasopharynx, the upper part of the throat.

The company has launched Toripalimab, a new biological entity (NBE), Dr Reddy's Laboratories said in a regulatory filing.

The medication is the only immuno-oncology drug approved by various regulatory authorities around the world such as the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and others for the treatment of adults with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC), it added.

Dr Reddy's said it will market the drug under the brand name Zytorvi in India.

"As the next generation PD-1 inhibitor, Toripalimab has demonstrated superior outcomes for RM-NPC versus standard of care, thereby meeting a significant unmet need for patients with NPC in India," Dr Reddy's CEO Branded Markets (India and Emerging Markets) MV Ramana said.

Oncology has been a top focus therapy area for the company which has been able to launch Toripalimab in India in the same year as its launch in the US, he added.

"We will continue to work hard to serve our patients and stakeholders to remain their partner of choice, and progress towards our goal of serving over 1.5 billion patients by 2030," Ramana said.

In 2023, Dr Reddy's entered into a license and commercialisation agreement with Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co Ltd for Toripalimab.

Under this agreement, Dr Reddy's obtained exclusive rights to develop and commercialise Toripalimab in 21 countries including India, South Africa, Brazil and various countries in Latin America.

Additionally, the agreement allows the drug firm to expand the scope of the license to cover Australia, New Zealand and nine other countries.

With the launch by Dr Reddy's, India becomes the third country in the world after China and the US to receive access to this next generation PD-1 inhibitor.

The standard of care for RM-NPC in India before Toripalimab was chemotherapy (gemcitabine and cisplatin).

Dr Reddy's Laboratories shares were trading 0.85 per cent down at ₹1,190.35 apiece on BSE.