Company Watch

Torrent launches obesity drug

Our News Bureau - Mumbai

Ahmedabad based healthcare major, Torrent Pharma has launched Rimonabant, an anti-obesity molecule, for the first time in India under the brand name Rimoslim. Rimonabant is a promising drug in an entirely new class of drugs called selective cannabinoid (CB1) receptor antagonists. Rimoslim targets multiple cardio-metabolic risk factors, which can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes or dyslipidaemia.

Unlike other anti-obesity drugs, Rimoslim claims to act favourably on the lipid parameters and reduces triglycerides and haemoglobin A1C levels, increases HDL-C levels and thus helps in managing blood sugar levels.

Rimoslim also has the potential to help in smoking cessation. The results of Phase III studies called RIO (Rimonabant in obesity) Europe, RIO-North America and RIO-Lipids, comparing rimonabant 5, 20 mg and placebo, have indicated significantly more weight loss with Rimonabant. “Rimoslim is vastly superior to all the others in the anti-obesity therapy segment and is priced aggressively too. While the second-in-class molecules sell at upwards of Rs 40 per tablet, Rimoslim is priced at around Rs 8 per tablet.

Thus, it's an extremely affordable therapy for the masses unlike the others that service only the niche, upwardly-mobile population," asserts Ruchir Modi, Vice-President, Marketing. Torrent Pharma is confident of Rimoslim's potential and aims to clock Rs 10 crores in sales in the first year of its launch.