Dr Reddy's & Bayer Partner for Heart Failure Drug in India

New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) Dr Reddy's Laboratories on Friday said it has inked a pact with Bayer to market a second brand of Vericiguat, a drug indicated for chronic heart failure, in India.

In September 2022, Bayer launched the patented drug, Vericiguat, under the brand name Verquvo in India.

Under this pact, Dr Reddy's will market the drug under a second brand name Gantra in India, expanding the reach of Vericiguat to meet the needs of patients with chronic heart failure, the companies said in a joint statement.

Bayer has granted non-exclusive rights to Dr Reddy's for the product under the brand name Gantra, it added.

Heart failure is a major public health issue affecting more than 8-10 million people in India.

"The introduction of a second brand of Vericiguat in India, through our partnership with Dr Reddy's is a reaffirmation of our commitment to making innovative healthcare solutions accessible to as many patients as possible," Bayer Zydus Pharma Managing Director Shweta Rai said.

Dr Reddy's CEO of Branded Markets (India and Emerging Markets) MV Ramana said the partnership with Bayer is part of the company's continuous efforts to make innovative medicines available to patients in India through strategic collaborations.

"We will use our strengths in marketing and distribution to widen access to this novel treatment in metros and beyond into tier-I and tier-II towns in India," he added.