US drugmaker AbbVie has entered India’s cancer market with its oral blood cancer drug Venetoclax, aiming to offer new treatment options for leukaemia patients, according to AbbVie’s announcement on its website.

AbbVie has launched Venetoclax in India for patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), marking its first direct step into India’s oncology sector (source: AbbVie website). Venetoclax works by targeting BCL‑2 proteins in cancer cells, a mechanism that can help patients who cannot undergo intensive chemotherapy. Dr Rahul Rathod, AbbVie’s Medical Director, said Venetoclax will offer a treatment path for older patients or those with other health issues who need an oral option.

Data from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) shows India has 2.5 AML cases per 100,000 people, underlining the demand for therapies that fit patient needs (source: AIIMS Delhi report). AbbVie’s previous cancer drug, Imbruvica, was available through Johnson & Johnson. With Venetoclax, AbbVie now controls both pricing and distribution of this treatment in India.

The company set the maximum retail price at Rs 15,900 per bottle, which covers about 12 days of treatment and comes to roughly Rs 30,000 a month. AbbVie said it will run a patient access program to help patients who need financial support. The launch follows approvals by India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and falls in line with government efforts to widen cancer care beyond major cities.

AbbVie’s move arrives as India pushes to expand cancer treatment infrastructure in tier‑2 and tier‑3 cities. The company plans to work with local hospitals to train doctors on Venetoclax use and set up supply chains that reach smaller centers. AbbVie believes that by bringing this oral therapy to India, it can change how blood cancers are treated and give more patients a choice beyond intravenous chemotherapy.