New Delhi: Ranbaxy Laboratories today said it has entered into an agreement with the US-based Validus Pharma for selling low cost versions of its calcium drug Rocaltrol.

The company’s US-based subsidiary Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc (RPI) and Validus Pharmaceuticals LLC have entered into an agreement for marketing and distribution of a generic version of Rocaltrol (calcitriol), Gurgaon-based Ranbaxy Lab said in a statement.

Under the agreement, Rambaxy would market and distribute an authorized generic version of Rocaltrol in both softgel capsules and an oral liquid formulation.

According to industry estimate, overall market sales for calcitriol softgel capsules and oral liquid is about $70 million.

Ranbaxy will launch the product immediately in the United States and expects to be the only generic company offering all forms and strengths of generic Rocaltrol.

“Ranbaxy was very pleased to be selected by Validus as their distribution partner for an authorized generic version of Rocaltrol,” RPI’s Sales and Distribution Vice-President Jim Meehan said.

We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with Validus, Meehan added.

Rocaltrol is the brand name for a synthetic form of calcitriol, a metabolite of vitamin D, which occurs naturally in the human body.

Calcitriol is used to manage low levels of calcium in the blood of patients whose kidneys or parathyroid glands (glands in the neck that release natural substances to control the amount of calcium in the blood) are not working normally.