Novo will not make Dr Reddy's drug

HYDERABAD: Novo Nordisk has decided to dump the insulin sensitiser compound Ragaglitazar developed by the city-based pharma major Dr Reddy''s Laboratories (DRL). With this decision, all the activities that are in the pipeline to develop the compound will come to a halt.
Instead, Novo will take up Balaglitazone, another insulin sensitiser developed by DRL."Novo Nordisk has completed analysis of Phase 2 data on Balaglitazone. Based on study reports, Novo has decided to develop Balaglitazone," Dr Reddy''s said in a statement. This compound was outlicenced by DRL to Novo Nordisk in March 1997.
Though outlicenced much later - in August 1998 - Ragaglitazar was taken up by Novo for trials much ahead of Balaglitazone. In July 2002, Novo Nordisk suspended clinical trials of Ragaglitazar after it found tumours in one mouse and several rats in its animal studies.
The trials of the drug were also carried out at Nizam''s Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims) involving 28 diabetics. With the trials coming to a halt, the company started tracking the patients involved in the study.
The 28 patients have been undergoing tests for detection of possibility of them getting cancer. Nims sent urine samples of these patients for testing to the Novo Nordisk headquarters in August-September last year.
"The reports of the samples were normal, but the patients are regularly being screened for symptoms of cancer or any other effects of toxicity," Nims sources said.
Another set of urine samples will be sent in March to Novo headquarters. "Halting trials and development of a drug is part of discovery.," GV Prasad, DRL CEO said.