Recent Developments
Technological Intervention
· In January 2020, Bayer Zydus Pharma has launched ‘Bare Your Pain’, an application to help women better manage their endometriosis, as well as ‘Ask Tanu’, a chatbot, which is the first of its kind in India to provide a reliable resource for advice on contraception and reproductive health. It targets a chronic and painful disease like endometriosis, which is known to affect ten per cent of women of childbearing age. About 176 million women suffer from it globally, and, of these, 26 million belong to India alone. The application will enable endometriosis patients to better manage and monitor this chronic health condition.
· In 2017, Indian Institute of Technology accomplished a process to produce male contraceptive pills, which had a potential to reduce the burden of the female contraceptive pills but was avoided by the major pharma companies. India’s reversible procedure could cost as little as $10 in poor countries, and may provide males with years-long fertility control, overcoming compliance problems and avoiding ongoing costs associated with condoms and the female birth-control pill, which is usually taken daily. Only thing that hindered its growth was male attitude and least likeliness of using the pills world over.
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Collaborations, Mergers & Acquisitions
· In January 2020, Bayer has entered into a licence agreement with Daré Bioscience to commercialise investigational contraceptive product called Ovaprene in the US. Ovaprene is Daré’s investigational hormone-free monthly vaginal contraceptive, which is under clinical development to prevent pregnancy. Under the exclusive licence agreement, Bayer will commercialise Ovaprene after it is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This collaboration is supposed to help both the companies in generating sales and boosting each other’s growth.
· In February 2019, Bayer, a longstanding leader in women’s healthcare, and Geisinger are partnering to create a contraception counseling pathway within the Geisinger Electronic Health Record (EHR) with the aim of standardizing the delivery of comprehensive contraceptive care and reducing unintended pregnancies. The goal is to optimize care within the Geisinger network and help ensure their patients are actively involved in personal contraception decisions, which can have long-term impact for the woman and her family. This goal is supposed to help many women to manage their monthly cycle, avoid unwanted pregnancies, execute proper family planning and lead a healthy life. It will also help the companies generate good revenue from the initiative, making it a win-win situation for all.
· In February 2020, Similar to its opponent GSK, Merck said that it will create a new drug company to sell many of its older, slower-growth products, creating a new pharmaceutical company with $6.5 billion in annual sales focused largely on women’s health drugs like Nexplanon, a long-acting contraceptive implant. It will also sell Merck’s off-patent medicines, including the cholesterol drugs Zetia and Vytorin. Carving off 14% of Merck’s sales into what it is still calling “NewCo” should allow the core company to grow faster, attracting investors who want to bet on the rising sales of the company’s cancer drug, Keytruda, If it keeps going in a similar fashion, benefits will find their way into the core company.
· In January 2020, Theramex announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire further rights to Zoely, a patented oral contraceptive, from MSD, the tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA. Theramex currently markets Zoely in eleven European countries, and this transaction will bring the total number of markets up to more than 50 on a global basis. MSD retains rights in the United States and Canada. This agreement has potential to rake in benefits and push the sales of the products in newer regions.
· In 2018, Pfizer (US) started expansion of contraceptives factory in Flanders to cater to the rising demand of DMPA in 50 developing economies. DMPA is a hormonal shot that prevents unplanned pregnancy for three months at a time. Women can self-administer the medication. As the demand of the contraceptive increased, this step was in store. This will benefit the market and will help Pfizer increase revenue generation.
Government Initiatives
· In March 2020, Bayer Australia welcomed Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt’s announcement that Kyleena will receive a government subsidy from 1 March - allowing women to pay just $41.00 (general patients) or $6.60 (concession card holders) for a device that provides up to five years of contraception. The PBS listing of Kyleena provides women with an important new birth control option that works to prevent pregnancy for up to five years. In Australia, this initiative will be considered as a shot in the arm for the awareness and usage of contraceptive devices and to lower unwanted pregnancies and abortion, lowering the healthcare cost and strain.