US Branded
With sales of USD 133 million, Lupin's Branded business contributed 30% to the overall US revenues. Lupin remains the only Indian company and one of the few global generics majors with a significant branded presence in the US.
Lupin's flagship brand, Suprax® continued its upward trajectory reporting a healthy rise of over 20% in prescriptions with the Suprax® double strength registering prescription growth of 48%. Suprax® has helped build a sound platform to build an even larger branded presence in the years to come.
During the year, the Company put in place new marketing programs for Antara® (Fenofibrate Capsules 43 mg and 130 mg) that it had acquired from Oscient Pharmaceuticals in the previous fiscal. Antara® is prescribed for treatment of hyper-cholesterolemia and hyper-triglyceridemia. The US Fenofibrate products market is around USD 1.9 billion wherein Antara® has close to 4.5% share of this market. Oscient had stopped promoting Antara® which had since witnessed a decline in sales. The Company has been able to stem the decline in sales, which have since picked up in the last quarter of FY 2011. The Company aims to strengthen and build on the brand equity that the drug enjoys with primary care physicians.
AeroChamber Plus® remains one of the most widely prescribed holding chambers across the US. AeroChamber Plus® is a Valved Holding Chamber (VHC) device that is used with metered dose inhalers to enhance the delivery of medication to the lungs in the treatment of Asthma and COPD. The device continues to bolster Lupin's franchise with pediatricians, whilst extending our presence in the respiratory segment.
During FY 2011, Lupin ramped up its US sales force to over 170 medical representatives given the focus on growing Antara®. The ramp-up helps build further critical mass to our specialty sales forces that address both Pediatricians and Primary Care Physicians and would also provide the company with significant headroom to increase branded sales in the US.
Lupin further aims to strengthen its branded portfolio with value-added line extensions and will continue to invest in developing new products built on its proprietary advanced drug delivery technologies. The Company is also on the look out for brands to acquire to fast track its formidable branded presence.
