Eli Lilly launches Alzheimer’s drug Donanemab in India

By Rishika Sadam

May 13 (Reuters) – U.S.-based drugmaker Eli Lilly on Wednesday launched its Alzheimer’s drug Lormalzi, also known as Donanemab, in India.

Here are the details:

• The drugmaker has priced the 350 mg vial of Lormalzi at 91,688 rupees ($957), the company told Reuters

• The drug is expected to become commercially available later this month

• The therapy will be administered as an intravenous infusion once every four weeks to remove amyloid plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s progression

• The drug has received marketing authorisation from India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization for patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stages of Alzheimer’s

• Lilly’s Donanemab was approved in the U.S. last year under the brand name Kisunla

• A Lilly executive said earlier this year that India would play a bigger role in the company’s global strategy, including as a manufacturing and export hub

• Winselow Tucker, president and general manager of Eli Lilly and Company (India), said in February the drugmaker planned to bring additional products to India

($1 = 95.7600 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam and Surbhi Misra; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)