Apremilast is an advanced oral treatment for psoriasis which addresses the limitations of the current available therapies in India.

It acts in a targeted manner at an early stage of the disease progression. Also, it is an immunomodulator whereas the other available drugs in the country are immunosuppressant including biologics and are mostly indicated for the treatment of oncological conditions.Immunosuppressants suppress the immune system thereby making the body susceptible to various infections. Apremilast being an immunomodulator does not suppress the immune system and treats the condition of psoriasis at an intracellular level which will benefit psoriasis patients across the country.

Apremilast is an oral therapy which can be self-administered unlike some of the currently available injectable therapies which have to be administered by paramedics. Further, Apremilast is a safer drug having no effects on other organs like the liver and kidney and does not require routine laboratory diagnostic tests like CBC, liver and Kidney test or TB screening as required in the case of other therapies used currently.Glenmark has launched Apremilast under the brand name 'Aprezo' indicated for the treatment of psoriasis. Glenmark received approval from DCGI for Apremilast after conducting clinical trials on the molecule as per the regulatory requirements.

Sujesh Vasudevan, President and Head - India, Middle East and Africa, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, said, "Glenmark is proud to be the first player to introduce Apremilast, an advanced oral and safe treatment for psoriasis, in India. Glenmark has been in the field of dermatology for 4 decades bringing advanced therapies to Indian patients. With the launch of Apremilast, we are aiming to transform the treatment paradigm for millions of psoriasis patients in the country."

Rajesh Kapur, Senior Vice President - Sales & Marketing, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, said, "Apremilast is a safer and efficacious treatment compared to the existing treatment available in the country. Apremilast is the only oral medicine available in the country exclusively for psoriasis. In addition to this, it also addresses the several limitations of existing treatments like routine laboratory monitoring. We hope that millions of patients in India will now be able to live a better quality of life with this revolutionary treatment."

Globally, about 3% of the world population has some form of psoriasis. Another study reveals that the prevalence of psoriasis in countries ranges between 0.09% and 11.43%, making psoriasis as one of the serious issues.India has now become one of the largest patient pools in the world and is estimated to have around 33 million psoriasis patients. As per a study on psoriasis in India, based on data collected across various medical colleges located in Lucknow, Dibrugarh, Calcutta, Patna, Darbhanga, New Delhi and Amritsar, it was found that the incidence of psoriasis among total skin patients ranged between 0.44 and 2.2%. It was also found that the ratio of male to female (2.46:1) was very high and the highest incidence was noted in the age group of 20-39 years.

Apremilast will revolutionize the treatment for 33 million psoriasis patients in the country. Apremilast is the first oral treatment in India specific for psoriasis treatment; it is convenient to administer, it is safer compared to existing therapies and will transform the psoriasis treatment regime in the country.About Glenmark Dermatology: Glenmark as an organization has always had a formidable presence in the field of dermatology with many pioneering formulations that were launched for the first time in India.Customers across the length and breadth of the country identify Glenmark - Dermatology as an innovation and quality-led business unit having mega brands such as Candid, Candid B, Elovera, Scalpe, Onabet, Syntran to name just a few.

The company also has shown the highest incremental market share gain in the last three years from 8.3 % (MAT Aug'15) to 9.3 % as on date (MAT Aug'17).About Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (GPL) is a research-driven, global, integrated pharmaceutical organization. It is ranked among the top 75 Pharma & Biotech companies of the world in terms of revenue (SCRIP 100 Rankings published in the year 2017). Glenmark is a leading player in the discovery of new molecules both NCEs (new chemical entity) and NBEs (new biological entity). Glenmark has several molecules in various stages of clinical development and is focused in the areas of oncology, dermatology and respiratory.

The company has a significant presence in the branded generics markets across emerging economies including India.Glenmark has 16 manufacturing facilities across five countries and has six R&D centers. The Generics business of Glenmark services the requirements of the U.S. and Western European markets. The API business sells its products in over 80 countries, including the U.S., various countries in the EU, South America and India.