The Chairman and Managing Director of Eli Lilly and Co., India, disclosed on January 3rd, during the announcement of a price cut in the company's human insulin product 'Huminsulin', that its animal insulin product 'Iletin' will be phased out from the market by the end of this year. He added that the company resorted to this move due to the growing use of human insulin products and the phasing out of animal insulin products by other drug companies throughout the world.
A 10 ml vial of humininsulin, which was earlier available at a cost of Rs. 218, will now be available at Rs. 145 (a 33.5 per cent reduction from the former price),pegging it to prevailing prices of animal-derived insulin. This cut in price is as result of the drug now being manufactured at the Sun Pharmaceuticals plant at Halol, Gujarat.Mr. Gulati also added that a new product, "inhaled insulin", is being developed by its parent company in the United States along with an Indian scientist and that the company is awaiting the governments approval for the phase II and III trials for this inhaled version. However, he added that the drug will cost more due to higher dose requirements compared to the injectible form and will be available only five years down the line.
