Cipla rises on plan to launch low-dose Efavirenz 400 mg

Cipla is currently trading at Rs. 645.15, up by 1.15 points or 0.18% from its previous closing of Rs. 644.00 on the BSE.

The scrip opened at Rs. 646.00 and has touched a high and low of Rs. 649.70 and Rs. 644.75 respectively. So far 8427 shares were traded on the counter.

The BSE group 'A' stock of face value Rs. 2 has touched a 52 week high of Rs. 752.45 on 10-Mar-2015 and a 52 week low of Rs. 572.00 on 15-Jun-2015.

Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 651.20 and Rs. 633.00 respectively. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 51812.31 crore.

The promoters holding in the company stood at 36.79% while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 34.24% and 26.63% respectively.

Cipla is ready to supply its combinations Tenofovir/ Emtricitabine / Efavirenz andTenofovir/ Lamivudine /Efavirenz with a dose of 400 mg of Efavirenz as a first-line initial therapy for HIV infection. Studies now support the use of Efavirenz 400 mg as a substitute for Efavirenz 600 mg in cases where there is no co-infection with tuberculosis. Efavirenz 600 mg is currently used in antiretroviral therapy (ART) and is highly effective. However, it is known to have significant side effects, which can be very distressing for those taking it for treatment of HIV infection.

Efavirenz 400 mg, with the same efficacy, is much better tolerated. It is expected that this improved formulation will help improve patient adherence as well as significantly reduce the cost of treatment. In addition it will also significantly reduce the pill size. Studies found that the reduced dose of 400 mg Efavirenz was non-inferior to the standard dose of 600 mg Efavirenz dose when combined with Tenofovir/ Emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) and Tenofovir/ Lamivudine (TDF/ 3TC) as initial HIV therapy. Both doses demonstrated similar safety profiles.

One way to reduce the drug costs of therapy further is ‘dose optimization’. Reducing the dose of Efavirenz in current first-line combination therapy to 400 mg will contribute to reducing costs without modifying the effectiveness of treatment. It is expected that new guidelines for HIV treatment will include this dose reduction to Efavirenz 400 mg.

Cipla is a global pharmaceutical company which uses cutting edge technology and innovation to meet the everyday needs of all patients. For 80 years, Cipla has emerged as one of the most respected pharmaceutical names in India as well as across more than 150 countries. The company’ portfolio includes 1500 plus products across therapeutic categories with one quality standard globally.