Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said it received approval from UK authorities for to sell its Maloff Protect anti-malarial medication without prescription.
It contains atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride, and has been available only as a prescription medicine in the UK.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency gave approval for 250mg and 100mg film-coated tablets, it said.
Maloff Protect is used in the prevention of malaria in adults travelling to areas where malaria is prevalent.
Achin Gupta, Executive Vice President & Business Head Europe, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said, “This is our first major OTC launch in the UK.. the product (is) accessible to millions of citizens who visit countries where Malaria is prevalent. The launch also marks our entry into the OTC segment primarily through the pharmacy chains. We will continue exploring this route to grow the business.”
Glenmark’s current portfolio consists of over a hundred products authorized for distribution in the UK, both in-licensed as well as Glenmark’s own products.
“In addition to this approval Glenmark UK continues to identify and explore both internal as well as external development partnerships to supplement and accelerate the growth of its existing opportunities and future portfolio,” it said.
The company is ranked among the top 75 Pharma & Biotech companies of the world in terms of revenue by the SCRIP 100 Rankings published in the year 2017.