Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Share Price in Focus; Gets Approval for Zytorvi in Advanced Esophageal Cancer

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories announced on October 21, 2026, that it has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for Zytorvi (toripalimab) to treat advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). 

The drug has been approved for first-line treatment in adults with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic ESCC. It must be administered in combination with cisplatin and paclitaxel, two chemotherapy drugs. 

This is Zytorvi’s second approved indication in India. The drug was previously approved for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and launched in the Indian market in November 2024. 

Phase 3 Trial Reports Survival Benefit 

The approval is based on results from the Phase 3 JUPITER-06 trial, which evaluated toripalimab in combination with chemotherapy against chemotherapy alone. 

The combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 42% compared with chemotherapy alone. The final overall survival analysis showed median survival of 17.7 months for patients receiving toripalimab with chemotherapy, against 12.9 months for those receiving chemotherapy alone. 

The trial also reported clinical benefits across different PD-L1 expression subgroups. The Indian approval does not require patients to be selected based on their PD-L1 expression levels. 

Esophageal Cancer in India 

Esophageal cancer accounted for approximately 8.1% of all cancer-related deaths in India in 2024, making it the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the country, according to figures cited by Dr Reddy’s. 

ESCC accounts for around 80% of esophageal cancer cases in India. 

Licensing Agreement Covers 21 Countries 

Dr Reddy’s signed a licensing and commercialisation agreement with Shanghai Junshi Biosciences in 2023 for toripalimab. The agreement gives the company exclusive rights to develop and commercialise the drug across 21 countries, including India, Brazil, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 

Toripalimab has also received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. 

Read More: Delta Corp Share Price in Focus; Posts ₹106.41 Crore Net Loss in Q2FY27! 

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Share Price Performance 

As of October 21, 2026, 12:25 pm, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories share price was trading at ₹1,240.20, a 0.19% decrease from the previous closing price. 

Conclusion 

The latest approval expands Zytorvi’s approved use in India from nasopharyngeal carcinoma to include advanced ESCC. The drug will be used alongside cisplatin and paclitaxel for eligible adult patients. 

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