| The world’s largest manufacturer of healthcare products, Johnson & Johnson, is making India a global hub of its research and development as it looks to ramp up its pharmaceutical business in the country.
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| The company is investing $17.5 million in its analytical and pharmaceutical development centre in Mumbai, which conducts early-stage drug development. In a few months, the number of professionals working there will rise from 65 to 150.
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| “We will develop the centre to make India an important hub of our drug research and development. We are in discussions with Indian companies and R&D institutes for drug research and clinical development of drug targets,” said Paul Stoffels, chairman, research and development, Johnson & Johnson.
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| Clinical development of drugs will be a focus area for the company’s growth in India. According to Stoffels, J&J conducts 15 clinical trials in India. The number will soon double.
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| The decision comes as yet another endorsement of India’s emergence as a critical centre for pharma R&D. Last year, Novartis announced an investment of Rs 500 crore in a centre in Hyderabad that will employ 5,000 scientists.
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| Pliva recently inaugurated its drug R&D centre in Goa. In March, Astra Zeneca opened a $15 million process and development laboratory in Bangalore, focused on new chemical entity (NCE) research.
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| A month ago, Bristol-Myers Squibb teamed up with Biocon’s subsidiary, Syngene International, to establish a facility in Bangalore that will have 400 scientists working on early-stage drug development.
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| Just a few weeks ago, GlaxoSmithKline and Tata Consultancy Services announced an agreement to establish a global drug development support centre in Mumbai.
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| According to a McKinsey report, the global clinical trial outsourcing to India in the pharmaceutical industry is estimated to be worth Rs 5,000 crore by 2010.
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| J&J now markets its pharma products in India through its arm Janssen-Cilag, which sells only a few of its prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. It is not even among the top-30 companies in India.
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| According to Ajit Shetty, its president, global chemical and pharmaceutical operations, the company will soon ramp up its pharma operations in India with the aim to become a leading player.
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| The growth strategy will be organic and involve launch of almost all its patented drugs. |
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