Zydus Lifesciences Ltd., a global innovation driven healthcare company announced that it has entered into an agreement with CVS Caremark, a CVS Health company to add Zituvio, Zituvimet, and Zituvimet XR tablets to its template formulary starting January 1, 2025.

Zituvio and combination products include Zituvio (sitagliptin), Zituvimet (sitagliptin and metformin hydrochloride) and Zituvimet XR (sitagliptin and metformin hydrochloride) extended-release tablets. These three NDAs of Sitagliptin (base) and combination franchise have been approved by the USFDA earlier through the 505(b)(2) route.

The Zituvio range of products contain active ingredients sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, and metformin hydrochloride (HCl), a biguanide, indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Commenting on the development, Punit Patel, President & CEO, Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. said, "We are proud to have partnered with CVS Caremark, one of the most patient-centric healthcare solutions providers in the US, to further our commitment to improving access to high-quality medications to patients and meeting their healthcare needs with reduced outlays. This relationship is a strong validation of Zydus’ strategic investments in 505(b)(2) portfolio and will set the way for further strengthening our portfolio of differentiated products in the US market."

Metabolic and lifestyle conditions, such as diabetes have been a significant contributor to prescription drug growth over the last decade.

According to IQVIA (MAT Aug-2023), the US market for DPP-IV inhibitors and their combinations is US $10 billion.