Mumbai-based pharmaceutical firms Cipla and Sun Pharma have signed a non-exclusive patent license agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company for ‘Vonoprazan’ for Indian Market for treating acid-related illnesses among patients.

This deal is meant to commercialise the drug in India under Cipla’s own trademark brands, while Sun Pharma will commercialise Vonoprazan tablets 10 mg, 20 mg in India under the brand name 'Voltapraz'.

Vonoprozan (oral tablets) is a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), used for the treatment of related disorders - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Vonoprazan was discovered and developed by Takeda. With a novel mechanism of action, Vonoprazan inhibits the binding of potassium ions to H+K+ATPase (proton pump) in gastric parietal cells in the stomach thereby it suppresses basal and stimulated gastric acid secretion. The drug is approved in India for treatment of adults with Reflux esophagitis and other acid peptic disorders.

In November 2023, Vonoprazan was approved by the US FDA for healing and maintenance of healing of all grades of Erosive esophagitis and relief of heartburn associated with Erosive esophagitis and in combination with amoxicillin and clarithromycin or amoxicillin alone for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in adults.