Alzheimer's Disease Drives Eli Lilly's Specialty Medicine Expansion in India

Alzheimer's Disease Focus for Eli Lilly in India

Mumbai: Eli Lilly is positioning Alzheimer's disease as a key part of its long-term innovation pipeline alongside obesity and metabolic therapies, as the US drugmaker expands its specialty medicine push in India, country head Winselow Tucker told ET. “Alzheimer's is part of our overall strategy and pipeline,” said Tucker, President and General Manager, Eli Lilly and Company (India), in an interview on Tuesday. We do have a pipeline in neurodegenerative diseases. The company on Tuesday launched Lormalzi (donanemab), its once-monthly amyloid plaque-targeting therapy for early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease in India.

New Treatment for Alzheimer’s

• The drug is expected to be available this month through hospitals and pharmacies.
• Priced at Rs 91,688 per 350 mg vial.
• Administered as an intravenous infusion once every four weeks for up to 18 months.

Tucker emphasized the importance of this launch given the rising number of dementia cases, stating, “Right now it is about 8.8 million people who have dementia. And about 60-70% of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.” This number is expected to rise to over 19 million by 2036.

Innovative Approach to Alzheimer’s Treatment

Unlike conventional Alzheimer’s medicines that mainly manage symptoms, donanemab targets amyloid plaques in the brain, which are considered one of the underlying drivers of disease progression. We are going to be launching a medicine that is a disease-modifying medicine,” Tucker stated.

Improving Diagnosis and Awareness

Tucker noted that diagnosis readiness remains a significant hurdle for Alzheimer’s treatment in India, where many patients are diagnosed late in the disease progression. “One in ten patients with dementia get diagnosed or any treatment in India,” said Tucker. The company anticipates that newer blood-based biomarker tests will enhance early diagnosis rates.

Commitment to Alzheimer's Research

The launch of the treatment reflects Lilly's broader strategy of bringing more innovative therapies to India. Tucker highlighted the company's dedication to Alzheimer's research, stating, “We spent nearly $11 billion researching Alzheimer’s disease.” As they continue to bring solutions to the market, Eli Lilly remains committed to addressing this significant unmet medical need worldwide.