Dr Reddy's launches cancer drug in the UK

Chennai: Pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd on Tuesday announced the launch of its cancer drug Versavo (bevacizumab) in the UK.

Versavo, its first biosimilar product to be approved and launched in the UK, is a biosimilar of Avastin and indicated for the treatment of several types of cancers, including metastatic colorectal cancer, advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, recurrent glioblastoma, metastatic renal cell carcinoma, advanced cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and metastatic breast cancer, the company said.

It is available in strengths of 100mg and 400mg single-use vials.

The company launched Versavo in India in 2019 and later introduced it in other markets such as Thailand, Ukraine, Nepal, and Jamaica under the same brand name. In Colombia, the product was launched under the brand name Persivia.

"The launch of Versavo in a highly regulated market underscores our capability for global clinical development of high-quality biosimilar products. Versavo is a potential treatment option for patients with different types of cancers. This launch reinforces our commitment to bring more biosimilar and other critical biological products to meet the unmet needs of patients and strengthens our focus on oncology," Dr Reddy's Global Head of Biologics, Dr Jayanth Sridhar, said.