Avesta Bio to launch 8 drugs by '12

Avesta Biotherapeutics and Research (ABRPL), the 50:50 joint venture between Cipla group company Meditab Specialities and Bangalore-based Avestha Gengraine Technologies (Avesthagen), is targeting to launch about eight high-value, bio-similar or copied versions of off-patent biotech drugs before 2012.

ABRPL is working on developing drugs for anaemia, cancer and arthritis, said Bruce Murdoch, chief business officer, Avesthagen.

"We are targeting high-end products that are going off-patent and are not working on popular soon-to-be off-patent biotech molecules. We should be able to bring a couple of molecules into the commercialisation stage next year," he said.

Cipla's role would be to market these products in India and in other geographies after commercialisation, he said. Avesthagen is planning to invest over Rs 600 crore to create facilities in Bangalore and Hyderabad in three phases to manufacture biotech drugs. The company is also planning an IPO to fund the expansion plans.

The four-year-old joint venture is developing 11 bio-similar drugs, mainly cancer medications, Villoo Morawala Patell, chairman and managing director, Avesthagen, had earlier told Business Standard.

Avesthagen is constructing a Rs 150-200-litre manufacturing facility in Bangalore and another similar facility in Bangalore within two to three years at an investment of Rs 300 crore. ABRPL is also planning to set up a larger facility of about 5,000-litre capacity at the Shapoorji Pallonji Biotech Park in Hyderabad in the third phase. Earlier, ABPRL had acquired Siegfried Biologics, Berlin-based firm.

with experience in the development of biologics (biotech drugs) from cell line generation, upstream process development and for scaling up manufacturing to global standards.