Lupin plans $20-mn facility in Pune

Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company Lupin Limited is planning to invest $20 million in setting up a new manufacturing facility in Pune, according to company president Cyrus Karkaria.

"Besides expanding the production capacity of biotech products, we are planning to establish a facility in Pune in the next two to three years," he told mediapersons here on Friday.

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Karkaria said that the company was building a robust drug discovery pipeline with over 7 molecules covering the oncology and inflammation segments. Of these, three are already undergoing clinical trials, while two are in pre-clinical stage. One more molecule will enter the pre-clinical stage soon, he added.

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Lupin will also launch a cancer drug, which is yet to go through the third clinical trial. It is expected to hit the market during the next financial year.

At present, the biotechnology drug market is estimated to be $120-140 billion globally. Of this, about 20 per cent comes from the emerging markets. India has a 20 per cent share in the drugs manufactured in the emerging countries.

The company is gearing up to launch its first bio-similar product in the Indian market by early next year, besides targeting 5-7 per cent of its business from bio-similar business.

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These include recombinant erythropoietin, recombinant granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), interferon alpha and beta, human insulin, monoclonal antibodies and human growth hormone