New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) Drug maker Lupin on Wednesday said it has tied up with Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company and the COPD Foundation to expand the availability of a generic drug in the US.

The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (Cost Plus Drugs) charges a standard markup on every drug it sells.

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The COPD Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation established to improve the lives of people with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), bronchiectasis, and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease.

The collaboration marks a significant milestone in countering the disease burden by enhancing access to products for patients in the US, Lupin said in a statement.

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The Mumbai-based company said its product is currently the only generic product available that is therapeutically equivalent to Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals' Spiriva HandiHaler.

COPD affects over 15 million adults in the US and ranks as the fourth leading cause of death in the country.

"We believe there is a large unmet need for improved and affordable products for patients in the US...We are committed to increasing access for patients, seeking treatment options for respiratory conditions like COPD, with our respiratory portfolio and pipeline," Lupin President US Generics Spiro Gavaris stated.

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company CEO Alex Oshmyansky said the tie-up would help to offer lower prescription drug prices to consumers.

"With Cost Plus Drugs, consumers can be confident they are getting a fair price and the convenience of medication mailed directly to their homes," he added.

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