K Anji Reddy, the founder of the pharma biggie Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), told reporters on Friday that the company had reached Phase III clinical trial stage for its anti-diabetic drug ‘Balagletazone.’

Talking about the beginning of the third stage trials, Reddy said that Balagletazone has the “potential to become the first innovative molecule from India.”

Reddy further said that DRL is undertaking preparations for commencing the Phase II trial stage of its new anti-cholesterol drug, which aims at reducing the risk of heart attacks. Though the drug
-maker has refrained from specifying any timeframe for the second stage trials, it has confirmed that the successful completion of Phase I trials and that of taking the drug to the next level.

With the Phase I trials of the drug reported complete, the company has already found the drug to be safe though the efficacy and other issues will have to be tested in the subsequent phases.

Reddy told the reporters: “The cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) has completed the first phase of human trials. We would look at taking it to the next level.”

Since CETP carries the cholesterol throughout the body, thereby controlling the lipoprotein in the body, the effectiveness of CETP inhibitor drug in controlling the incidence of heart attack has received a mixed opinion from scientists all over the world.