TEHRAN (INIC)- A nanoliposomal drug containing the anticancer agent doxorubicin - under the brand name of Sina Doxosome - was presented to the Iranian drugstores for the first time. The drug costs roughly one third of its foreign equivalent.
The mentioned drug, with its exclusive production rights belonging to a number of European countries and the US, used to be sold at high prices under the trademark names of Caelyx® and Doxil® over a long period. Thanks to the efforts made by the Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company, the technology for mass-production of the nano-based drug has been localized and is available within the national market.
“Today, after establishment of the production line and taking all the regulatory steps for securing the necessary approvals, about 200 vials of the drug have been delivered to the distribution network,” Dr. Seyed Mehdi Rezayat, the head of Human Resources Development Workgroup of the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC) and the director of the project, pointed out.
Sina Doxosome® contains doxorubicin (antitumor) loaded nano liposomes which identify and attack tumor tissues through a targeted drug delivery mechanism. As a result, this drug can effectively help the treatment of ovarian, breast and blood cancers as well as kaposi sarcoma (a type of soft tissue cancer) with remarkably reduced side effects.
“Regarding the incentive support policies of INIC and the admirable efforts made by a number of knoweldeg-based companies working on health care issues (in close connection with The Food and Drug organization of the Ministry of Health), we hope to have new products on the shelves by the end of this year. Hopefully, at least one of these products will be a nano drug, as a gift of nanotechnology, to improve the health quality of our fellow countrymen,” Dr. Rezayat told the INIC's news service, elaborating on the INIC’s future plans for production of nano-based drugs.
The production line of the anticancer Sina Doxosome drug was launched in February 2012 in Sobhan Oncology Co. In addition to meet the domestic demands, the company plans to fully benefit from export market opportunities.
The mentioned nano drug has received all the mandatory approvals from Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education last year.
