Dr. Reddy’s launches Toripalimab to treat rare cancer, India 3rd country to access the drug

Indian pharmaceutical company Dr. Reddy’s on Thursday announced the launch of Toripalimab in the country for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC), a rare form of head and neck cancer.

Toripalimab, marketed under the brand name Zytorvi® in India, is a next-generation PD-1 inhibitor and the only immuno-oncology drug approved for RM-NPC by global regulators, including the US FDA, European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the UK’s MHRA.

India is the third country globally to gain access to this drug, following its rollout in China and the United States.

“The launch of Toripalimab is a significant milestone for patients diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in India,” Dr Reddy's CEO Branded Markets (India and Emerging Markets) MV Ramana said.

“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,” he added.

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

Toripalimab is indicated as a first-line treatment for adults with metastatic or recurrent NPC in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin, reducing the risk of disease progression or death by 48%, according to the company.

It is also approved as a monotherapy for patients with unresectable or metastatic NPC after the failure of platinum-based chemotherapy, Dr. Reddy's said in a release.

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, Ramana said.

"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," he added.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which originates in the epithelium of the nasopharynx, affected over 6,500 new patients in India in 2022, according to GLOBOCAN statistics. The disease is particularly prevalent in India’s northeastern states, with Kohima, Nagaland, reporting the highest incidence rates.

The shares of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd were trading at ₹1,191.10 apiece, nearly 0.7% lower than the previous close.