Cipla looks to invest more in mRNA tech; holds discussions with firms

After taking the lead in having a strong Covid-19 portfolio during the pandemic, Cipla is now gearing up for the next stage of growth in terms of innovation and expanding its presence in newer domains. The Mumbai-based firm has held discussions with mRNA technology companies over the last eight months as it looks to invest in a few of them.

“We have been talking to mRNA technology owners in the past eight months. We are at a stage when we might invest in a few mRNA companies. The best way is to invest in such technology companies and then grow them in-house,” said Umang Vohra, managing director and global chief executive officer of Cipla.

He added that the pandemic has shown that if one has one’s own manufacturing, then one can pretty much drive the agenda. “Like we are the world leaders in vaccine manufacturing, India should now also have its own domestic industry in new-age technologies like mRNA,” Vohra says.

Speaking to Business Standard, Samina Hamied, executive vice chairperson, Cipla, says one must invest in research and development (R&D) to feed the commercial growth engines. “We will spend a lot of energy in building our growth engines, our commercial capabilities in the large markets. To feed that growth there has to be enough investments in innovation,” she says, adding that Cipla wants to move up the ‘innovation curve’ — from small molecules, to injectables, to biosimilars, and even mRNA.

“Cipla cannot do everything, and there is a great model in partnering with those who are way ahead — whether it is in mRNA or biosimilars, new dosage forms, etc,” Hamied says.

She adds that in the firm’s in-house strategy meets, they have identified areas where they want to invest — and the innovation story would grow both through organic and inorganic investments.
 

Last June, Cipla became a partner of US-based Moderna as part of a country-to-country deal (not commercial) to help bring the mRNA Covid-19 vaccine to India. The vaccine is not yet available here though.

Hyderabad-based Biological E will partner with the World Health Organisation to make mRNA technology based vaccines here as a part of the Technology Transfer Hub project. In April, WHO selected Biological E after examining several proposals from India as a recipient of the mRNA technology from the WHO technology transfer hub. Announced in June 2021, the objective of the hub is to build capacity in low- and middle-income countries to produce mRNA vaccines. The hub is located at Afrigen, Cape Town, South Africa.

India’s indigenous mRNA vaccine from Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is also in the last leg of development and commercialisation as the firm awaits a nod from the drug regulator to launch the vaccine here.

The mRNA technology space in India is thus heating up.

Cipla, too, has spoken to vaccine makers. “We are speaking to large vaccine manufacturers as well, but so far nothing concrete. We want to invest into mRNA technology.”