20-Year Patent for New Acid-Reflux Drug – Akum Pharmaceuticals Achieves It
Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd is an Indian pharmaceutical company that has secured a 20-year patent for its innovative dual-release proton pump inhibitor (PPI) formulation. This is a promising drug that gives better relief for patients suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
The Company received their patent on October 31, 2025, and the patent was numbered 573119. The patent was given for a period of 20 years starting from 19th November 2022. The company received this patent for its invention named “Dual Release Gastro-Resistant Composition.”.
When the acid in the stomach breaks through into the oesophagus, it leads to a condition called GERD. There are various symptoms caused by this, like heartburn and discomfort etc. Across the world, nearly 14% of the population is affected, and a recent meta-analysis has shown that 15.6% people are affected in India.
The conventional PPIs have a few limitations, and this new drug formula is aiming to focus on one major drawback, which is the inability to maintain full acid suppression throughout the day and night. While the inability leads to nocturnal acid breakthrough.
This tablet is a dual-release tablet which works in two phases. First 50% of the drug is released in the duodenum, and the other 50% is released into the ileum, helping to prolong absorption and extend the duration of action.
The company has designed this drug for better stability, uniform release, and to make it easy for the patients. The company has named this technology that is used to make the drugs as tablet-in-tablet. Their mission is to make people take one tablet a day of this for improved compliance and quality of life.
The company also mentions that the formulation has already received approval from India’s drug regulator, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
With this patent in hand, Akums sees itself at the top of advanced acid-related disorder therapies. This adds up to their portfolio of gastroenterology treatments. This invention also pushes the Indian Pharma sector to focus on developing more novel drug formulations, which are also patient-friendly and not to focus only on replicating existing drugs.
For doctors and patients, the promise that this drug gives of long-lasting relief from GERD, with very less symptoms at night, will give a meaningful improvement over standard treatments. We should now see how this product will perform in the market in terms of cost, effectiveness and accessibility, which will be done during post-market surveillance
