The first once-weekly injectable medication Trulicity, designed to improve blood sugar control in adults with type-02 diabetes, was launched in Bangladesh on Friday.
Healthcare Pharmaceu-ticals Ltd, and Eli Lilly and Company announced the launch of Trulicity (dulaglutide) at a city hotel, said a press release.
Trulicity offers patient benefits beyond glycemic control and the convenience associated with a once-weekly dose, it said.
Studies done on Trulicity have established its cardiovascular safety and weight reduction potential.
Trulicity comes in an easy-to-use, single-dose pen that does not require mixing or measuring and can be administered anytime of the day, independent of meals, according to the release.
It is available in 0.75 mg and 1.5 mg doses. Special care has been taken in concealing the injector needle to address the fear of needles that some patients have.
Trulicity is part of a class of drugs known as a glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) receptor agonists, it said.
It is not insulin and mimics the effects of GLP-1, a natural hormone that helps keep sugar level normal by helping the body release its own insulin after food intake.
"Trulicity® will be marketed and distributed in Bangladesh by Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Ltd… The launch of Trulicity® will open newer avenues in diabetes management and provide health care professionals with a better way to manage diabetes," HPL DMD and CEO Halimuzzaman was quoted as saying.
"Diabetes is a big burden on the healthcare system in Bangladesh. More than 8.0 million people live with diabetes and their treatment needs vary," said Eli Lilly managing director for South Asia Luca Visini.
"Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923. Trulicity® is an important addition to our diabetes portfolio in Bangladesh and this launch is an important milestone in our journey to help more and more patients and their caregivers with the treatment support they need."
"Type-2 diabetes is a progressive disease and in Bangladesh many patients don't meet their treatment goals. Trulicity® is new, non-insulin, injectable that has been designed keeping patients' needs and convenience in mind," said BADAS president Prof AK Azad Khan.
According to the release, Trulicity is a prescription drug that should be taken only on advice from registered physicians who deals the diabetic patients.
When prescribed, the drug should be used as an adjunct to diet and exercise, it concluded.
