GSK launches cardiology portfolio in Sri Lanka with Rosutec and Lilo
Monday, 9 June 2014 00:00
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GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (GSK) has joined the battle against cholesterol and related health risks in Sri Lanka with the launch of two statins as the first step in developing a portfolio of cardiology drugs for the domestic market.
Rosutec (Rosuvastatin calcium) and Lilo (Atorvastatin calcium) are synthetic lipid-lowering agents for oral administration as a single dose at any time of the day, to patients with elevated cholesterol levels, the company said.
“GSK’s entry into cardio products will be welcomed by the medical fraternity because of the company’s proven commitment to all aspects of quality in manufacture, packaging and delivery,” said GSK Pharmaceuticals Managing Director Stuart Chapman. “Quality is of paramount importance in the manufacture of any pharmaceutical product, but is particularly critical in drugs for chronic diseases such as hypercholesterolemia, because they entail long-term use.”
Rosuvastatin is a selective and competitive inhibitor of 3 hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme that converts HMG-CoA to mevalonate, a precursor of cholesterol. GSK’s brand of Rosuvastatin – Rosutec – will be marketed in Sri Lanka as 5mg, 10mg and 20mg film-coated tablets to be sold on prescription only. It is indicated principally for the treatment of patients with primary hypercholesterolemia, mixed dyslipidaemia or homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia as an addition to diet control, when response to diet and exercise is inadequate.
Atorvastatin calcium is also an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase. It is prescribed for primary and secondary hypercholesterolemia, prevention of cerebrovascular accidents and primary prevention of coronary heart disease. In Sri Lanka, GSK’s brand of Atorvastatin – Lilo – will be sold as 10 mg and 20mg film-coated tablets.
One of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, GSK and its predecessors have been doing business in Sri Lanka since the late 1930s. Globally, 1,100 prescriptions are written for GSK products every minute. GSK is the only pharmaceuticals company to tackle the three ‘priority diseases’ identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO): HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
