AstraZeneca and Sun Pharma Join Forces for Hyperkalaemia Care

AstraZeneca Pharma India and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries have struck a second brand?partnership to broaden access to sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC), a critical therapy for hyperkalaemia, across India.

Under this deal, AstraZeneca will market SZC under its global brand Lokelma, while Sun Pharma will sell it as Gimliand.

AstraZeneca retains the intellectual property rights, the marketing authorization, and the import license for SZC, ensuring continuity in regulatory control.

Praveen Rao Akkinepally, Country President & MD of AstraZeneca Pharma India, described the partnership as a milestone: “We aim to transform care … building robust pathways to reach patients in need. With this step, we are poised to significantly expand the reach of this vital therapy and help address the disease burden.”

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Kirti Ganorkar, Managing Director of Sun Pharma, emphasised the collaboration’s alignment with its chronic-care strategy: “The addition of SZC to our portfolio … underscores our unwavering commitment to improving the care of patients with chronic kidney disease … as India’s largest pharmaceutical company … we remain focused on expanding access to innovative treatments.”

Hyperkalaemia is a serious condition where elevated potassium levels can jeopardise patients — especially those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or heart failure (HF) on RAAS inhibitors. Prevalence estimates suggest that up to 50?percent of CKD patients and around 42?percent of chronic HF patients are affected, making effective potassium control a key unmet need.

Sun Pharma’s powerful field force — over 15,000 personnel — combined with AstraZeneca’s scientific focus, could meaningfully scale availability. This strategic move underscores both companies’ commitment to improving patient outcomes nationwide by making hyperkalaemia management more accessible.