Natco to Sell Rare Spinal Disease Drug Risdiplam for Rs 15,900 Each

Natco Pharma announced that its generic Risdiplam will launch at Rs 15,900 per bottle, which might be a transformative moment for treating rare diseases in India. Roche's Evrysdi, marketed for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatment, reaches Rs. 6.2 lakh for each bottle, making it unaffordable for numerous Indian patients.

The cost strategy employed by Natco Pharmaceuticals proved beneficial for patients and investors since healthcare affordability remains a barrier throughout the country. Risdiplam bottles have a 12-day lifespan, which leads to monthly costs of Rs 30,000. Roche currently enables pricing assistance programs by exchanging bottles as part of its initiatives.

"In March, a single bench had denied Roche's plea for an injunction against Natco's launch."

In response to the court's recent ruling, Natco has noted an increase in inquiries from both investors and patients about the pricing and availability of its Risdiplam variant. The situation continues to attract considerable interest from both the healthcare sector and investors.