Novartis launches zero-interest EMI plan for costly heart treatment drug in India: Report

In a first for the pharmaceutical industry, Novartis has partnered with Indian payment technology firm Pine Labs to offer a zero-interest monthly instalment plan for the twice-yearly injectable drug, which targets low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), known as "bad cholesterol."

"We have recently launched a zero-interest EMI scheme with Pine Labs so that this treatment can be accessible to more patients,” ET quoted Amitabh Dube, country president and managing director of Novartis India, as saying.

Each instalment is priced between ₹15,000 and ₹16,000, with a dosing schedule involving an initial injection, a second dose after 90 days, and subsequent doses every 180 days, Dube said.

Novartis has also reportedly come up with a scheme where the second injection is free with the purchase of the first dose, though patients must pay the full cost of the initial dose via instalments.

Launched in India in January 2024 at ₹120,000 per injection, Sybrava, sold as Leqvio in the United States, costs $3,373.4 per dose (around ₹290,000). Over 3,000 patients in India are currently using the drug, according to the Economic Times.

To expand its reach, Novartis has forged marketing partnerships with Indian firms Mankind Pharma, JB Pharma, and Lupin, which market inclisiran under the brands Crenzlo, Izirize, and Tilpazan, respectively.

Sales of inclisiran across the three partners reached ₹7.7 crore in the year since April 2024, per PharmaTrac data cited by the Economic Times.

Inclisiran, which is not a substitute for statins, the standard cholesterol-lowering treatment, is recommended for patients who are statin-intolerant or for whom statins are ineffective.