Mumbai, August 2026 : Domestic pharmaceutical major Mankind Pharma on Thursday announced an exclusive in-licensing agreement with China-based Chongqing Chenan Biopharmaceuticals to commercialise two basal insulin therapies in India, marking a significant move to strengthen its presence in the country’s growing diabetes treatment market.
Under the agreement, Mankind Pharma will commercialise two injectable products — insulin degludec and a combination of insulin degludec and insulin aspart — which are used in the treatment of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
The company said the partnership would broaden its portfolio of advanced injectable therapies and help improve access to modern diabetes treatments for Indian patients. Industry sources expect Mankind to adopt competitive pricing for the products once they receive regulatory approval and are launched.
The combination of insulin degludec and insulin aspart is marketed in India by Novo Nordisk under the brand Ryzodeg. A 3 ml penfill or cartridge of the combination is generally priced in the range of ₹1,200 to ₹1,600.
Atish Majumdar, Senior President, Sales and Marketing, Mankind Pharma, said the partnership reflected the company’s commitment to making advanced therapies more accessible while strengthening its position in injectable diabetes care.
The company has been expanding its diabetes portfolio as demand for chronic disease therapies continues to rise. Mankind Pharma’s diabetes therapy sales stood at ₹1,073 crore in July 2026 on a moving annual turnover (MAT) basis, representing sales generated during the preceding 12 months. The company currently commands around 4.4 per cent of India’s diabetes therapy market.
A company spokesperson said oral anti-diabetic medicines currently account for the bulk of Mankind Pharma’s diabetes business. However, the company expects injectable therapies, particularly insulin-based treatments, to become an increasingly important component of the segment in the coming years.
The spokesperson said the latest agreement would help Mankind establish a foothold in the injectable diabetes therapy market, with an eventual ambition of becoming one of the top three companies in the category.
The products, however, are yet to receive approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). The two therapies will have to complete the prescribed regulatory and approval procedures before Mankind can commercially launch them in India.
The agreement forms part of the pharmaceutical company’s broader strategy of building an in-licensing pipeline through partnerships with Chinese drugmakers, particularly in areas involving chronic and specialised diseases.
Mankind had entered into a partnership with Innovent Biologics in 2024 to commercialise the anti-cancer drug Sintilimab in India under a licensing arrangement. The latest agreement with Chongqing Chenan further expands the company’s efforts to access innovative therapies developed in China.
Mankind said the partnership was aligned with its broader strategy of accessing global pharmaceutical innovation through strategic collaborations and in-licensing arrangements.
“China's rapidly developing biopharmaceutical ecosystem presents opportunities for Indian pharmaceutical companies to access differentiated and innovative assets that can complement their existing portfolios,” the company said in an exchange filing.
Majumdar described China as a rapidly emerging hub for innovative biopharmaceutical products and said Mankind remained focused on expanding its in-licensing pipeline from the country. He added that the company would continue to explore partnerships that could complement its existing portfolio and strengthen its presence in high-growth therapeutic areas.
The latest deal comes as pharmaceutical companies increasingly seek strategic collaborations to bring advanced treatments to the Indian market while expanding their presence in specialised therapies.
On the stock market, Mankind Pharma shares declined 0.25 per cent to ₹2,385 apiece on Thursday at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), even as the company announced its expansion into the injectable insulin segment.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
