Aurobindo Pharma rises on receiving USFDA approval for Sodium Chloride injection

A Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company, Aurobindo Pharma announced on Wednesday that it has received final approval from US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) to manufacture and market Sodium Chloride injection, a generic version of Hospira’s Precedex. Reacting to the news, the stock of the company rose 1.13 per cent during the early trading session on BSE.

The company will manufacture Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride in 0.9 per cent Sodium Chloride injection, in the strengths of 200 µg/50 ml and 400 µg/100 ml single doses in flexible containers (bags). The injection is said to launch in January 2021.

Sodium chloride injection will be used in the sedation of initially intubated and mechanically ventilated patients during treatment in an intensive care setting and sedation of non-intubated patients and/or during surgical and other procedures.

According to the twelve months ending October 2020, IQVIA data, the injection has an estimated market size of USD 228 million.

The company manufactures generic pharmaceuticals & active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) of which, APIs form 13 per cent of the revenue and formulations form 87 per cent. It has a strong product portfolio in major therapeutic areas like central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular (CVS), anti-retroviral (ARV), anti-diabetics, gastroenterology, and antibiotics.

At 11.12 am today, the stock of Aurobindo Pharma was trading 0.12 per cent higher at Rs 896.80. It has recorded a 52-week high of Rs 967.60 and a 52-week low of Rs 281.15 on BSE.