Eswara Reddy along with Animesh Kumar (Assistant Drugs Inspector), Biocon Biologics Associate Vice President L Praveen Kumar, and Synergy Network India Private Limited director Dinesh Dua, were arrested last year in the bribery case allegedly to waive the Phase 3 clinical trial of Insulin Aspart injection, a product developed by the company to manage Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. However, Biocon Biologics, a subsidiary of Kiran Mazumdar Shaw-led Biocon, denied the allegations of bribery.
The government has granted the sanction to prosecute Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's joint drugs controller S Eswara Reddy, clearing the decks for initiating a trial against him for allegedly taking a bribe to favourably recommend Biocon Biologics' insulin injection, officials said Sunday.
Slowing global economic conditions are expected to trigger greater utilisation of generic drugs and biosimilars because they offer lower-cost alternatives to expensive branded drugs, she said.
The Danish drugmaker's move follows a similar announcement by rival Eli Lilly earlier this month. More than 8 million Americans use insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association.