Polypill for all lifestyle ailments

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories breakthrough therapy, Polypill, a combination wonder drug to prevent lifestyle ailments like heart attacks and cardiac problems, is set to hit shop shelves soon. Clinical trials to establish safety and efficacy of the drug have been completed in India and the pill will be introduced in the domestic market soon.

The polypill may become a breakthrough therapy as globally there is no such combination available in a single pill, which treats hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol and cardio-vascular diseases.

The combination includes four formulations — atenolol, lisnopril (ACE inhibitor), aspirin, and simvastatin (cholesterol lowering) — are believed to have reduced the risk of cardiovascular diseases by more than 80%.

The polypill includes generic versions of established medicines — a cholesterol-lowering statin, an ACE inhibitor (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme) for reducing blood pressure, aspirin and atenolol (beta blocker). A statin would reduce high levels of bad LDL cholesterol slashing the risk of heart disease, while blood pressure lowering drugs would reduce the risk of stroke.