Indian pharmaceutical company Lupin on Thursday launched its new medicine for degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis, Hyalgan. It's an injectable liquid drug to relieve a patient from pain caused from osteoarthritis, a company statement said. The drug is injected directly into the knees.

Nearly 12 per cent of the population in India is affected by osteoarthritis, which is a major health problem in the country today among the 25-30 age group. As revealed by a survey at present the market for such medicines worth nearly Rs. 150 crore, Lupin said in its statement.

Lupin's Managing Director, Kamal Sharma, said that the company is now focusing on such niche markets where patients still need someone to provide them a solution for their health problems. He expected that the launch of the osteoarthritis medicine would be proved as a right step.

As per Shakti Chakraborty, Lupin India Region Formulations Group President, osteoarthritis is one of the major problems in the country today with the number of cases going past other diseases like AIDS and cancer.

The medicine Hyalgen also slows down progression of the degenerative joint disease if patients take it timely as prescribed, Lupin claimed.