Sun Pharma, Ferring Pharma join hands to commercialize CARITEC in India

Mumbai: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has recently announced that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries has entered into a license agreement with Ferring Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Switzerland-based biopharmaceuticals MNC Ferring Pharmaceuticals, to commercialize a Room Temperature Stable (RTS) formulation of obstetric drug, CARITEC (Carbetocin RTS) in India.

CARITEC is indicated for the prevention of excessive bleeding in women after vaginal or caesarean child birth. The condition is commonly known as post-partum hemorrhage (PPH).

As per agreement terms, Sun Pharma is granted rights for co-marketing of the drug in India in the private market under the brand name CARITEC. Ferring has developed the drug and received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for introducing the drug in India.

Kirti Ganorkar, CEO-India business, Sun Pharma, said, "PPH is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide. As per WHO, 25% of maternal deaths occur due to this condition. Through our collaboration with Ferring, we are introducing an innovative medicine that will help in reducing thousands of deaths from PPH every year. We believe this unique RTS formulation of Carbetocin will play an important role in PPH prevention in India."

PPH is leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide and especially in countries like India. India's current Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) stands at 113 deaths per 100,000 live births. PPH is a frequent complication of child birth and its reported incidence in India is 2% - 4% after vaginal delivery and 6% after caesarean section. As per a survey conducted in India, PPH contributes to 38% of maternal deaths. Postpartum bleeding is a largely preventable and manageable condition. In the absence of prevention and timely and appropriate action, however, even a healthy woman could die within a few hours."