JOIN USEffient (Prasugrel) is an oral antiplatelet (OAP) agent that has been approved for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who have undergone angioplasty procedures. "We are very pleased to be able to bring this new treatment option for the millions of acute coronary syndrome patients in India," Eli Lilly India CMD Sandeep Gupta said.
He added: "Effient will help mitigate the huge economic burden by cutting down the recurrent hospitalization episodes." The drug is priced at Rs 140 per tablet, the firm said. Antiplatelet medicines help keep platelets from sticking together that can cause blockage in an artery, thereby reducing the risk of future heart attacks and recurrent hospitalisation.
Effient, which was co-developed with Daiichi Sankyo, has been launched in around 70 countries till date. The treatment is already recommended under the ACC (American College of Cardiology), AHA (American Heart Association) and more recently in the ESC (European Society of Cardiology) and the NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) guidelines.
According to the Lancet, the world's leading general medical journal, by 2010, 60 per cent of the world's heart disease is expected to occur in India.