The Hindu Business Line : Biocon to focus on insulin-based molecules

(From left) Dr R.A. Mashelkar, Director-General, Council of Scienific & Industry Research; Mr D.S. Brar, Director, GVK Biosciences; Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson & MD, Biocon India Ltd, and Dr Tachi Yamada, Chairman & Head-R&D, GlaxoSmithKline, at a Conference on `Building Innovative Pharma in India' in the Capital on Friday. — Kamal Narang

New Delhi , Nov. 5

BIOCON India Ltd is planning to focus a major part of its research on insulin-based molecules and will be launching its own branded recombinant human insulin formulation Insugen within two weeks.

"We will launch our insulin in the next two weeks, before the end of the month," said Dr Kiran Majumdar-Shaw, Chairman and Managing Director, Biocon, on the sidelines of a pharma conference organised by the CII. Besides this, the Bangalore-based company is also developing oral insulin for which it has entered into a tie-up with a US biotech firm Nobex Corporation. The collaboration would combine Biocon's peptide production capabilities with Nobex's peptide oral delivery technology.

She added that the company has been focusing on insulin-based molecules, as there is an alarming increase in this disease globally. "We do have a lot of strength in this segment. We are eyeing the global market, where the opportunity is much larger, for our product," Dr Majumdar-Shaw said. The company has already reached a global supply arrangement with Bristol-Myers Squibb for the supply of its r-human insulin.

Biocon has also commenced Phase II B clinical trials of its drug TheraCIM, a humanised monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of head and neck cancers. This drug has already received a fast-track approval from the National Regulatory Authority of Cuba and `Orphan Drug' status from European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products to treat cancer patients, she added.

Dr Majumdar-Shaw added that the company was also working towards developing other such antibodies specifically for oncology. The company is aiming to generate revenues of Rs 700 crore - Rs 750 crore for the 2003-04 fiscal, up from last year's Rs 550 crore.

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