Torrent Pharmaceuticals (Torrent) today announced that it has entered into a non-exclusive patent licensing agreement with Takeda to commercialize Vonoprazan in India. Vonoprozan is a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), used for the treatment of acid related disorders - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Torrent will market Vonoprazan under its own trademark, Kabvie.
As per a 2019 study published by Indian Journal of Gastroenterology prevalence of GERD in Indian population is around 8.2%, with a higher prevalence of around 11.1% in urban population. According to AWACS MAT April 2024 data, the Indian market for treatments used in GERD is valued at INR 8,064 crore, growing at 8% CAGR over the last 4 years. Currently treatments such as Pantoprazole (Proton Pump Inhibitors) are used to treat GERD. Availability of P-CABs such as Kabvie will make accessible new and effective treatments of GERD for the Indian population.