Wockhardt gets DCGI approval for newly discovered Antibiotics

On Thursday Wockhardt announced that the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved two of its new antibiotics, EMROK (IV) and EMROK-O for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, including diabetic foot infections and concurrent bacteraemia, thereby, becoming the first Indian company to achieve approval for newly-discovered antibiotics.

The antibiotics were approved based on the phase 3 study, involving 500 patients in 40 centres across India and aims to target super-bugs like Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), which is a leading cause of rising Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR). AMR is a major public health problem globally. Infections caused by drug-resistant organisms could lead to increased mortality and prolonged duration of hospitalization, causing a huge financial burden to the affected persons, health-care systems, and hinder the goals of sustainable development.

The size of Indian antibiotic market is estimated to be around Rs 16,000 crore and is growing at 7 per cent. It is one of the largest therapeutic segments in the country, with a 12 per cent market share of the Indian pharmaceutical market.

Wockhardt Limited is a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical formulations, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and vaccines. It has over ten manufacturing plants located in India, United Kingdom, Ireland and United States.

On Thursday, the stock closed at Rs 273.85, up by 5.71 per cent or Rs 14.80 per share. The 52-week high is recorded at Rs 516 and the 52-week low is recorded at Rs 230 on BSE.