Glenmark Pharmaceuticals announced on October 6 that it had become the first company in India to launch thiazolidinedione (lobeglitazone) for adults with type 2 diabetes. The drug, marketed under the brand name LOBG, contains lobeglitazone (0.5 mg) and is prescribed once daily to improve blood sugar control in adults with diabetes, the company said in a statement.

According to Glenmark, Indians have a high prevalence of “insulin resistance”, so LOBG is a viable option for treating type 2 diabetes in insulin-resistant diabetics. In India, 4 out of 10 people with diabetes develop insulin resistance, according to data collected by the International Diabetes Federation.

The Drug Control Authority of India (DCGI) has approved the pharmaceutical company to manufacture and market lobeglitazone based on a randomised, double-blind Phase 3 clinical trial in adults 18 years and older with type 2 diabetes. The trial showed faster and improved glycemic control in patients treated with LOBG.

Commenting on the launch of the drug, Alok Malik, Executive Vice President and Head of Formulations, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals India, said: “According to the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes affects 74 million adults in India, of which about 40% appear to be insulin as India’s leading diabetes treatment solution. As a leading solution provider, we are proud to introduce LOBG. This innovative and affordable medicine will help address insulin resistance in this country’s adults with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.”

Health information technology and clinical research firm IQVIA found that sales figures for the oral anti-diabetic drugs market in India for the 12 months to August 2022 were estimated at Rs 11,725 crore compared to the same period last year.

Data from the International Diabetes Federation also shows that the prevalence of diabetes in India is expected to increase to 125 million by 2045.