said it is bringing in Jemperli (dostarlimab) and Zejula (niraparib) to India, marking its re-entry into the cancer drugs segment in the country. The two oncology products would be brought at a “tiered pricing” for India, executives with the multinational company said.
GSK had a sizable asset in the past, said Bhushan Akshikar, Managing Director, GSK India, referring to its global $ 20 billion-plus asset-swap with Novartis (2014), that had also played out in India.
GSK’s oncology portfolio was swapped with Novartis vaccines portfolio, about a decade ago. In India, it was about ₹140 crore when divested, he said, adding that the focus now is on precision medicines, while rebuilding this portfolio. The first two oncology products would be imported, officials said, without divulging the price.
Pointing out that there was also a patient assistance programme (Phoenix). Akshikar, said, the product had been priced keeping the India patient at the core.
Jemperli is a PD-1 immunotherapy indicated for the second-line treatment of advanced or recurrent endometrial , in India, and it works by blocking the PD-1 pathway – a mechanism cancer cells use to evade immune detection, the company said.
Endometrial cancer is a malignancy arising out of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus, the company said, adding that about a fourth of endometrial cancer patients in India are at an advanced stage. At this stage, chemotherapy remains a standard treatment, though associated with toxicity and poor long-term outcomes, it said.
Zejula is indicated in advanced ovarian cancer, in India. It offers a once-daily oral dose. Gynaecological cancers are among the most common cancers in in India and are on the rise, the company said, pointing out that endometrial and ovarian cancers are among the top three gynecological cancers in India.
Dr Shalini Menon, Executive Vice President – Medical Affairs, GSK India, said gynaecological cancers represented a growing growing concern in women over 50 years, and with obesity and metabolic syndrome.
“Jemperli introduces immunotherapy into the treatment paradigm for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, offering a targeted option for patients with dMMR (mismatch repair-deficient) tumours. Zejula expands access to a convenient, first-line maintenance therapy in advanced ovarian cancer.”
Both molecules are supported by global clinical evidence and approvals from over 40 countries including the United States, United Kingdom and European Union, GSK said.
In India, GSK is participating in ongoing oncology clinical trials aimed to extend the indication of dostarlimab to other cancers including non-small cell lung, head and neck and colorectal, the company added.