Eli Lilly to Withdraw Insulin Basaglar from Indian Market; Product No Longer Profitable, Say Experts

American pharma major Eli Lilly has decided to withdraw insulin Glargine, sold under the brand name of Basaglar KwikPen, from the Indian market.

Basaglar Kwikpen is a long-acting, once-daily insulin designed for the management of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults and children. It provides consistent insulin presence in the body over the course of a day, aiding in the regulation of blood sugar levels.

According to a public notice published by Eli Lilly in newspapers on August 30, the company “wants to discontinue and stop the import and marketing of the said medicine after March 5, 2024.”

While Eli Lilly is the maker of this insulin injection, the product is marketed in India by pharmaceutical giant Cipla.

US-based Eli Lilly has described the insulin withdrawal as a carefully taken business decision. “After careful consideration, Lilly India has decided to discontinue Basaglar KwikPen (insulin Glargine) to streamline our current and future product portfolio in the country,” a company spokesperson told News18 in an email.

According to the public notice issued by Eli Lilly, “after the discontinuation of the medicine, the same may not be available in the market.”

“Therefore, patients using such medicines may consult their doctor for prescribing alternate medicines. All the doctors and medical personnel may also make note of this.”

Low Demand, High Competition

However, according to a company source and industry experts, the product has been facing tough competition in the Indian market along with the price ceiling imposed by the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA), making the product financially unviable.

The NPPA has fixed the ceiling price of Rs 244.13 per millilitre (ml) for insulin Glargine 100IU per ml pens.

Glargine – the first long-acting insulin analogue to be used in clinical practice – initially captured the market when launched by Eli Lilly and Cipla in early 2019. But, over time, numerous pharmaceutical companies such as Biocon, Sanofi, Mankind Pharma, Wockhardt, Lupin, and Eris Lifesciences have started selling the same formulation, dividing the significant market share.

“The sales volume of the product was low due to high competition,” a company source said, requesting anonymity.

Focussed on Bringing Innovative Meds to India: Eli Lilly

The company spokesperson told News18 that Basaglar insulin will continue to be available to hospitals, health systems and patients in the more commonly used formulation of 3 ml cartridges.

Asked if the company plans to launch more products to cater to the growing demand for anti-diabetic drugs in India, the spokesperson said: “We will continue to focus on bringing Lilly’s innovative medicines to India in our ongoing endeavour to make life better for people.”

Eli Lilly introduced the world’s first commercial insulin and has been a global leader in diabetes care. The company said that it continues to offer a broad insulin and incretin portfolio for people living with diabetes in India.