Wockhardt's novel antibiotic Zaynich eyes $9 bn global mlst
Mumbai-based pharma major Wock-hardt, which is all set to launch its new class of antibiotic Zaynich targeted at treating complicated gram-negative infections in India this year, estimates that the drug would have an address-able market of $7 billion in the United States (US) and Europe, besides a 217,000 crore opportunity in India. taking the total opportunity to $9 bn.
The company’s stock went up 2.4 per cent on BSE on Thursday after its investor presentation outlined its growth plans over the next three to five years.
Zaynich or WCK5222 is the block buster research candidate in Wock-hardt’s kitty, which has completed global phase-3 clinical trials achieving 20 per cent higher (statistically superior) composite cure over conven-tional antibiotic Meropenem (which is considered the gold standard). Wock-hardt claims that it is a new class of antibiotic in over 30 years that will treat gram-negative bacteria infections like urinary tract infections, hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia, bloodstream infection and complicated intra-
abdominal infections. The drug has saved 51 lives so far in compassionate usage, including three in the US. These patients had failed all available ther-apies.
The company is expecting to get a nod from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) soon. It hopes for a launch in the second half of this finan cial year.
In an investor presentation, Wock hardt said that it had completed the pre-ANDA meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) in May and is filing with the regulator in Q2FY26, expecting a potential launch in the financial year 2026-27 (FY27). It aims to file for approval in the Euro-pean Union (EU) and emerging mar-kets in H2FY26.
Satinder Duggal
