2019-08-11_Business_Today

August 11 I 2019 I BUSINESS TODAYI 63

vaccines. Today, it has the largest portfolio of biologics

among all Indian companies. Its overall investment in

this is nearly `300 crore.

Zydus has one of the largest biologics manufactur-

ing plants in Asia for monoclonal antibodies (cloning

of cells for cancer cure) with a capacity of 11,000 litres,

when the nearest competitor’s capacity is less than

1,000 litres. It has launched 10 biosimilars and another

eight are under development. The plan is to launch at

least three molecules every two years.

The company developed Exemptia, the world’s first

biosimilar of Adalimumab, for treating inf lammatory

arthritis. “We have partnered with many companies to

sell in various geographies and my assessment is that

we can easily get $200-250 million annually from

these biologics within the next four years,” says Sharvil

Patel, who did his doctorate in pharmaceutical science.

Similarly, he is betting big on vaccines. Zydus’s Vac-

cine Technology Centres (VTCs), located in Catania,

Italy, and in Ahmedabad, have already developed 11 ap-

proved vaccines and another eight-nine are under devel-

opment. VTC, which developed Vaxif lu-4, India’s first

tetravalent inactivated inf luenza vaccine, is also devel-

ed annual growth rate (CAGR), it became the fourth
largest Indian drug company by revenues. However,
unlike the next generation of other drug companies,
Pankaj Patel’s son Sharvil Patel, the company’s MD,
also passionately pursued drug research. As a result of
the continued focus on research, the Ahmedabad-based
company came up with India’s first new chemical drug
as well as a slew of novel drug innovations. If things go
well, within a few years, Zydus may become India’s first
MNC to sell its own drugs in global markets.

Chasing New Cures
Currently, Zydus Cadila has 10 new chemical entities
and new biological entities (NBEs) in different stages
of development – an achievement no other Indian drug
company can boast of.
A good part of the company’s profits is being
ploughed back into research of new drugs and specialty
products and vaccines – about 10 per cent of profits
every year. Even though these form a small part of the
overall business, Zydus has big plans for them. About
18 years ago, Zydus was among the first to invest in
developing biosimilars (copycat of biotech drugs) and

ZYDUS

AT A GLANCE

FIRST OFF

THE BLOCK

In 2013, Zydus Cadila launched

Lipaglyn (Saroglitazar), India’s

first new chemical entity. It

developed a four mg once-a-day

pill that can simultaneously

control cholesterol and glucose

levels - a first of its kind drug for

Hypertriglycerdemia (elevated

triglyceride levels) and Diabetic

Dyslipidemia (high cholesterol in

diabetic patients).

Among top three in

sales in pain, oncology,

respiratory and

gynaecology in India

2nd company in the

world to develop a

typhoid conjugate

vaccine

1st Indian company to

develop a new chemical

entity (NCE) in-house

(Lipaglyn (Saroglitazar))

10-plus

NCEs/NBEs

in pipeline

20-plus biosimilar

products in pipeline

4th largest pharma

company in India

by revenue

1st in the

world to

develop

biosimilar of

Adalimumab

(Exemptia)

Approved and launched in India

Phase II trials on in the US for hypertriglycerdemia

Phase II in the US for NASH (non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis)

Phase II in the US for Lipodystrophy

Phase III in India for Type-2 diabetes

Current size of the product in India: `50 crore

Opportunity (if trials succeed and the drug reaches global

markets): $3-4 billion by 2025

7th largest pharma company in

the US by total prescription