Venus Remedies antibiotic combo against pneumonia potentox gets patent from South Africa

Venus Remedies has received patents from South Africa for its antibiotic combination product Potentox.

Potentox is a combxnation of a cephalosporin with aminoglycoside indicated for the treatment of hospital acquired pneumonia, community acquired pneumonia and Febrile Neutropenia.

Potentox is the third product of Venus Remedies being granted Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPRO) in South Africa after Sulbactomax and Tobracef.

CIPRO’s also also the third patent of Potentox within five months of its first grant in South Korea.

Potentox has potential to reduce the toxicity caused by aminoglycosides and disease condition.WHO data suggest that there are 4.50 million cases of pneumonia, are a leading cause of death and years of life last in South Africa.Pneumonia is fifth leading cause of death in females and seventh major cause of mortality in males.

In Sub-Saharan Africa among HIV-infected patients presenting with a lower respiratory tract infection have confirmed that community-acquired pneumonia is the second cause of death with incidence of pneumonia due to S. pneumonae rising to 34.5 per cent.

In South Africa currently 8 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on health and more than half of the is amount is channelled into medical insurance schemes that serve the indicates that there is huge gap in demand and supply keeping in view the mortality in African continent.

Venus expects to fetch good share in its kitty by out licensing and selling Potentox in African continent.

Chandigarh-based Venus Remedies has received an Indian patent for its cephalosporin and aminoglycoside combination injectable product Potentox in September.

Potentox patent was first of its kind in India as this is first product patent granted Indian Patent Office for a fixed dose combination (FDC) injectable, after the country ussured in the new IP regime on 1st of January 2005, Venus Remedies said in a press statement.

Venus Medicine Research Centre (VMRC) studied the resistance pattern of pneumonia causing bacteria with existing therapies, reason of failures in order to find this innovative drug combination Potentox, the release said.

Venus Remedies launched Potentox in Indian market two years back.

Potentox was launched in Indian market on gaining DCGI approva after submitting the data from preclinical and multicentric phase-III clinical trials on more than 300 patients. Potentox has already been used by more than 20,000 patients across India.

Post marketing phase IV studies were also conducted to re-establish the safety of Potentox.

In August, Venus Remedies got another Product Patent for Tobracef from the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPRO), South Africa. Tobracef, which is indicated for the treatment of complicated mixed bacterial infection of acute pulmonary exacerbations, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an FDC cephalosporin and aminoglycoside.

Tobracef was launched in July 2008. Tobracef is under process of registration in many regulated and semi – regulated markets.

Venus Remedies India has two manufacturing locations in India and one in Germany. Venus is a contract manufacturer of oncological and cefelosporine injectable products following EU-GMP norms.