Shares of AstraZeneca Pharma India surge over 3% on new Hyperkalemia drug deal with Sun Pharma

Shares of AstraZeneca Pharma India rose as much as 3.5% to a day’s high of Rs 9,469.50 per share on the NSE on Tuesday, November 18, after the drugmaker said it has entered into a second brand partnership with Sun Pharmaceutical Industries to expand the availability of sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC), a treatment used to manage hyperkalemia, across India.AstraZeneca Pharma India said on Monday that the two companies will promote, market and distribute SZC in India under separate brand names as part of an agreement aimed at accelerating patient access to what it describes as an innovative and highly effective treatment for hyperkalemia.

AstraZeneca will market the therapy under the name Lokelma, while Sun Pharma will distribute it under the name Gimliand. The company added that it will continue to retain the intellectual property rights for SZC, along with the marketing authorization and import license for the molecule.

A condition with significant clinical burden

Hyperkalemia, a clinically significant condition, disproportionately affects patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and patients with heart failure (HF) receiving renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor therapy.

Prevalence estimates suggest that hyperkalemia occurs in up to 50% of patients with CKD and in 42% of those with chronic HF. To prevent recurrence, treatment with RAAS inhibitors is often reduced or discontinued, an approach that may increase mortality risk and worsen cardiorenal outcomes.

Shares of AstraZeneca Pharma India ended at Rs 9,132.00, down Rs 23.10 or 0.25% on the BSE on Monday.

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