INDIA – Sun Pharma, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, has commercially launched CEQUA, a novel ophthalmology treatment, delivered with nanomicellar (NCELL) technology in India.
In an official note, the drug major cited that CEQUA is now available for the treatment of adult patients with dry eye disease (DED) with inflammation.
This novel therapy is intended for treating patients with this commonly occurring condition caused by high screen time on visual gadgets such as television, smartphones, computers, tablets, and laptops.
Video Display Terminal (VDT) use, smoking, and contact lens use were associated with increased odds of developing dry eye disease.
DED is a chronic ocular pathology and a major global health problem that manifests as a plethora of symptoms such as burning, photophobia, tearing, and grittiness.
Sun Pharma’s CEQUA is delivered with nanomicellar technology, which improves the bioavailability and physicochemical stability of cyclosporine to increase ocular tissue penetration.
The first-of-its-kind treatment in India offers tremendous promise in the management of dry eye disease as it has a strong unmet need in the country.
“We are thrilled to introduce CEQUA in India, a safe and innovative treatment option for patients managing dry eye disease,” Kirti Ganorkar, Chief Executive Officer of India Business at Sun Pharma.
He pointed out that the current treatment options for dry eye disease have limitations, noting that the number of cases has been rising over the past few years in India.
“This is an important milestone for Sun Pharma as we bring one of our key global specialty products to India,” underscored Kirti Ganorkar.
The novel therapy comes at an ideal time when the prevalence of DED in India is higher than the global prevalence.
A large regional study pegged India’s prevalence at 32%, of which 90% were affected with moderate or severe DED.
45 percent or nearly half of India’s urban population is likely to be affected by this condition by 2030, roughly translating to a staggering 275 million people.
Moreover, the first step in developing a comprehensive public health approach towards treating dry-eye disease is to understand the epidemiology of the disease in the local population.
Sun Pharma brings CEQUA as an additional treatment option to doctors and patients with dry eye disease in India in concerted efforts to enable an enhanced patient and provider experience.
Similarly, L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad has a wide range of advanced diagnostics to detect early signs of this disease and offers advanced treatment options including stem cell therapy all under one roof.
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