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HYDERABAD, India — Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, a global pharmaceutical company, has introduced Versavo (bevacizumab) in the United Kingdom. Dr. Reddy’s Versavo is a biosimilar of Avastin and indicated for the treatment of several types of cancers, including metastatic colorectal cancer, advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, recurrent glioblastoma, metastatic renal cell carcinoma, advanced cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and metastatic breast cancer2.
Versavo is the first Dr. Reddy’s biosimilar product to be approved and launched in the UK. It is available in strengths of 100mg and 400mg single use vials.
Dr. Reddy’s launched Versavo in India in 2019. Subsequently, Versavo was introduced in other markets such as Thailand, Ukraine, Nepal, and Jamaica under the same brand name. In Colombia, the product was launched under the brand name Persivia.
Dr. Jayanth Sridhar, Global Head of Biologics at Dr. Reddy’s, said: “The launch of Versavo in a highly regulated market underscores our capability for global clinical development of high-quality biosimilar products. Versavo is a potential treatment option for patients with different types of cancers. This launch reinforces our commitment to bring more biosimilar and other critical biological products to meet the unmet needs of patients, and strengthens our focus on oncology.”
Bevacizumab is the first antiangiogenic therapy proven to slow metastatic disease progression in patients with cancer. It is a humanized recombinant antibody that targets human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), leading to deterred angiogenesis and tumor growth.
Dr. Reddy’s biosimilars business is among key strategic initiatives expected to drive both near-term and long-term growth. Over the last 25 years, the company’s biologics team has developed into a fully integrated organization with robust capabilities in the development, manufacture and commercialization of a range of biosimilar products in oncology and immunology. Dr. Reddy’s has a portfolio of six commercial products marketed in India, with some products marketed in more than 25 other countries. In addition, it has several products in the pipeline in oncology and auto-immune diseases in various stages of development for global launches across regulated as well as emerging markets. It is also ramping up manufacturing capacity to support global expansion plans. In July, its proposed rituximab biosimilar application was accepted for review by the FDA, EMA and MHRA.
Established in 1984, Dr. Reddy’s is committed to providing access to affordable and innovative medicines. Driven by its purpose of “Good Health Can’t Wait,” it offers a portfolio of products and services including APIs, generics, branded generics, biosimilars and O-T-Cs. Major therapeutic areas of focus are gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, diabetology, oncology, pain management and dermatology. Major markets include the U.S, India, Russia and CIS countries, China, Brazil and Europe. As a company with a history of deep science that has led to several industry firsts, it continues to plan ahead and invest in businesses of the future. As an early adopter of sustainability and ESG actions, it released its first Sustainability Report in 2004. Current ESG goals aim to set the bar high in environmental stewardship; access and affordability for patients; diversity; and governance. For more information, log on to: www.drreddys.com.
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