Kolkata: Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), the wholly owned subsidiary of US-based Merck & Co Inc Whitehouse Station, launched type-2 diabetes tablets, JANUVIA, in India.

Sanjiv Navangul, sales and marketing director of MSD, said: "We have launched the drug at an affordable price of Rs.42.80 per drug. It will cost around Rs.299 per week."

The company forayed into India in 2005. It first launched two anti-infectives in 2006 followed by one anti-fungal and the fourth one was an anti-pneumonia vaccine.

JANUVIA is the fifth launch of the company. Prior to the launch, the company carried out clinical trials on 190 patients in India.

MSD's growth last year was 200 percent. It expects to grow by 100 percent on a year-on-year basis for the coming seven years.

The company's sales reached $24 billion last year while the global growth rate stood at 10 percent during the same period.

"At present, we have 400 employees in India. We plan to become a team of 700-800 by this year end," Navangul said.

MSD is mostly focused on marketing and sales in India. The company plans to become one of the five top players in India by 2015.