The drug, marketed as Hamsyl – Junior will now be available in a 1500 IU pack, and is priced at ₹20,970, a company official told businessline
Gennova Biopharmaceuticals has launched a paediatric packsize of pegaspargase, used to treat an orphan disease like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), a rare and challenging form of blood cancer, primarily affecting children, the company said.
The drug, marketed as Hamsyl – Junior will now be available in a 1500 IU pack, and is priced at ₹20,970, a company official told businessline. The paediatric pack size was in response to doctor’s feedback, the official said, given the smaller dose needed for children.
An orphan disease, in medical terms, is a condition that impacts a small population, making research and development challenging. In 2014, Gennova introduced Hamsyl, an affordable and quality-assured pegaspargase available in 3750 IU packs, the company said. “This product supported access to the needs of patients against a time-consuming and cumbersome process of importing the drug and reduced the cost of the then-available standard of care in terms of drug pricing, in the fight against ALL,” it added.
Initially approved for the second-line treatment of ALL, Hamsyl received recognition for its safety and efficacy in real-world patients. This paved the way for its approval as a first-line therapy in 2019, the company said. Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is a subsidiary of Emcure Pharmaceuticals.
Sanjay Singh, CEO, Gennova Biopharma said, “With the launch of Hamsyl Junior, we triumph over cost barriers, advancing ALL management in line with global standards.” With an 1500 IU pack size and a 2.0 mL fill volume, Hamsyl Junior ensures optimal dosing while retaining the same API strength (750 IU/mL), marking a stride in providing paediatric patients in India with a specifically designed and accessible treatment, the note said.
