From correspondents in Gujarat, India, 05:03 AM IST

Ahmedabad-based Intas Biopharmaceuticals Ltd is set to market its lung cancer drug Gefitinib under brand name Geffy in the Indian market.

The new drug is a class of anti-cancer medications called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of a certain naturally occurring substance that may be needed to help cancer cells multiply.

Intas Biopharmaceuticals is now consolidating its presence in the domestic oncology market by expanding its current portfolio of lung cancer drugs comprising Gemibine, Carbopa, Taxocare and Cytax.

Recent studies suggests more than 90,000 men and 79,000 women are afflicted each year of lung cancer. Among men, incidence of lung cancer has been declining, but it continues to increase among women.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)