Foreign players look at India to develop lower-cost drugs
German pharma major Boehringer Ingelheim is close to completing its first in-licensing deal with an Indian pharmaceutical company.
By Noemie Bisserbe, TNN |
GOA: German pharma major Boehringer Ingelheim is close to completing its first in-licensing deal with an Indian pharmaceutical company. As their research and development pipelines dry up and discovery research costs soar, global pharma companies are looking at alternatives to develop innovative drugs at a lower cost.
For domestic companies, the discovery research programs remain at a nascent stage compared with Asian markets such as Korea or Taiwan. Global pharma companies are, therefore, increasingly looking at India for new molecules in-licensing opportunities.
“Currently, we are in talks with two Indian companies for new molecules in advanced stage of development,” said Klaus Wilgenbus, corporate senior vice-president licensing. The company did not disclose the name of the two Indian companies. However, Indian pharma companies, including Dr Reddy’s, Ranbaxy Labs, Glenmark Pharma, Orchid Chemicals & Drugs and Wockhardt Pharma are looking for international research partners.
Glenmark Pharma is known to be in discussion with potential European partners for its asthma molecule Oglemilast, and with several global companies for two research molecules targeted at neuropathic pain, osteoarthritis, inflammatory and dental pain.
“While many global pharma companies are in the look out for new molecules to in-license, good opportunities are still scarce,” said Mr Wilgenbus. “This represents a great opportunity for the Indian pharma industry.” Though there is interest on both sides of the table, Indian companies are finding it hard to get global partners to develop and market their new molecules.
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Wockhardt for instance has been scouting for long for a partner to develop its anti-infective molecule (MRSA), while Orchid Chemicals & Drugs had announced two years ago that it was exploring out-licensing opportunities for its anti-diabetes molecule. Despite these constraints, Indian pharma discovery research has also had some successes. Glenmark Pharma recently licensed out its diabetes molecule to German company Merck in a deal potentially worth e190 million. The Mumbai-based company had earlier licensed out its asthma molecule Oglemilast to Forest Labs for the US and Teijin Pharma for Japan.
The molecule is currently under clinical development in the US. In 2004, Dr Reddy’s Labs and Rheoscience entered into a deal for the joint development and commercialisation of balaglitazone, DRF 2593, a partial PPAR-gamma agonist for treatment of type 2 diabetes.
However, no molecules out of Indian labs have made it to the market. Novo Nordisk suspended trials for Dr Reddy’s Labs diabetes molecule Ragaglitazar in July 2002, when carcinogenecity studies found tumors in rats. Novartis discontinued development of Dr Reddy’s insulin sensitiser.
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In November 2004, Ranbaxy Labs’ deal with Schwarz Pharma hit a roadblock after the German company decided to terminate clinical trials due to unclear pre-clinical findings. In another instance, Torrent Pharma’s research deal with Novartis in 2004 for the domestic company’s anti-diabetes compound was terminated just a few months after it was signed. Start a SIP with as low as ₹500 with ET Money App!
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