HYDERABAD, India I August 5, 2015 I Hetero Group, one of India’s leading generic pharmaceutical companies and one of the world’s largest global producer of anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS treatment, today announces the successful launch of its biosimilar ‘Rituximab’ under the brand name MABALL[TM] in India. It will be marketed and distributed by Hetero Healthcare Limited, a group company of Hetero.

The launch of biosimilar Rituximab will provide a much needed access to patients in India suffering with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL). Rituximab is recommended as the first-line treatment for NHL and is available in a single dose vial with two strengths – 100mg/10ml and 500mg/50ml.

Commenting on the launch of the product, Dr Bandi Parthasaradhi Reddy, CMD, Hetero Group said: “The launch of MABALL strengthens Hetero’s position in the biosimilar market, and has enabled the company to join select biotech companies with the capability to develop, manufacture and commercialize complex monoclonal antibodies (MAB’s).”

He further added, “Biosimilars is one of the key strategic business areas for Hetero. We have invested in biosimilars and will introduce more biosimilar MAB’s in the future. We also have plans to introduce affordable biosimilar Rituximab into key markets outside India through our partners.”

Hetero’s Rituximab is a biosimilar version of Roche’s Rituximab. Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody used alone or with other drugs to treat Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and other indications such as Rheumatoid Arthritis.

About Hetero

Hetero is one of India’s leading generic pharmaceutical companies and is one of the world’s largest global producer of anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Established by Dr. B.P.S. Reddy in 1993, Hetero is in the business of development, manufacturing and marketing of drug intermediates, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and finished dosages. Hetero is the largest privately-held pharmaceutical company and is one of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in India with an annual turnover of US $1.2 billion. Hetero has over 25 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities which has been approved by various regulatory authorities like US FDA, EU, WHO etc. With over 200 products in its portfolio across various therapeutic areas, Hetero has a strong global presence in over 120 countries and focuses on making affordable medicines accessible to patients worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.heteroworld.com

SOURCE: Hetero Group