Big Pharma made this a big year for Indian drugmakers. As multinational companies sought ways to cut costs and grow revenues, they ramped up their outsourcing programs and partnerships–and that has helped push sales growth past 20 percent for India’s leading drugmakers, such as Ranbaxy Laboratories, Cipla, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, and Aurobindo Pharma, the Business Standard reports.

[ad]

That’s quite a leap; these big Indian pharmas been growing at an annual clip of about 12 percent over the past five years. And it’s quite a boost to particular companies’ ambitious goals.

Let’s take a look at the GlaxoSmithKline-Dr Reddy’s partnership. In June, the two companies announced a deal to develop and market certain products in emerging markets outside India. Dr Reddys is charged with manufacturing the products; GSK covers regulatory expenses, logistics, marketing and sales. A Nomura analyst told the Standard that this deal could help Dr Reddys deliver $1 billion in sales from emerging markets–one-third of the $3 billion in annual revenues that company is aiming for by 2013.

[ad]

The GSK-Reddys arrangement is just one of several Big Pharma forays into India of late, and more deals are coming down the pike–or so says the rumor mill, which has pegged Cipla as a potential long-term supplier for Pfizer. With pharma in need of emerging markets business and low-cost manufacturing, and Indian pharma looking for big growth, there’s sure to be plenty of action.

Source: FiercePharma

Popularity: 4% [?]

Pfizer is suing India’s Dr Reddy’s Laboratories in a Delaware federal court over a proposed generic version of the blockbuster cholesterol med Lipitor, according to Livemint. Dr Reddy’s notified Pfizer in October that it was seeking FDA approval for a generic version of the drug. The last-to-expire patent covering the drug enjoys pediatric exclusivity through January 2017.

[ad]

Pfizer acknowledged Dr Reddy’s October ANDA filing in its Q3 statement. “Dr Reddy’s asserts the invalidity and/or non-infringement of three patents for Lipitor which, including the six-month pediatric exclusivity period, expire between 2013 and 2017. Dr. Reddy’s is not challenging our enantiomer patent which, including the six-month pediatric exclusivity period, expires in June 2011,” according to the statement.

Lipitor continues to be a top-seller for Pfizer, which in 2008 fought off Ranbaxy’s attempt to bring a copycat version to market. However, the company has seen Lipitor’s sales decline. During the first nine months of the year, Lipitor had worldwide sales of roughly $8.3 billion-down from $9.3 billion during the same period 2008. This represents a decline of approximately 11 percent, according to the company’s quarterly earnings statement.

Source: FiercePharma

Popularity: 2% [?]