Dr Reddy's teams up with NZ university

Dr Reddy's Laboratories has teamed up with the researchers at the University of Auckland to initiate global trials to test the capability of its new fixed dose combination (polypill) to prevent strokes and heart attacks. Polypill consists of four commonly used drugs to treat heart disease.

The Health Research Council of New Zealand has invested NZ $350,000 to support overall co-ordination of the trial. Dr Reddy's contributions will be $7.5 million in developing the polypill and providing supplies for clinical trials globally.

While the drug has almost been proven to have the combined therapeutic effect as that of the four constituent formulations in India, the current trial would attempt to replicate the results in other countries.

The trial, slated to begin next year, will involve about 600 people in India, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, China, South Africa, the US and the UK.

Dr Reddy's has already started clinical trials of polypill in 11 centres of the country six months ago. "Since all medicines in the polypill - aspirin, a statin to lower cholesterol and two blood pressure drugs - are already prescribed to heart attack patients, we don't anticipate any problem with polypill trial," Satish Reddy, managing director & COO said.

He further added, "We should be able to introduce the drug for secondary indication (prescriptions to stroke / heart attack patients) by mid-2007."

The company intends to make polypill as affordable as possible. "Our intention is to see that one month's medication costs less than Rs 100.

The combination is not going to bring us big money, but it will help the patients as they get all four pills combined," he said.