Cipla Launches Novel Arthritis Treatment in India

Indian drugmaker Cipla has announced that it is to launch a novel treatment for symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in India, to be known as Mobix. The new product, available in cream and in pill form, has been developed in collaboration with a US company, California-based Cymbiotics. The two firms have a patent on the formulation, a complex of cetylated fatty acid esters, methyl salicylate and menthol.

Cipla is confident that the therapy will become an alternative to Cox-2 inhibitors, which have recently been the subject of controversy in the US and elsewhere. However, with a research budget of only US$20mn per year, the Indian drugmaker is expected to continue to focus on the development of marginal therapies.