Ranbaxy opens R&D centre

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd (RLL) today announced a high-decibel foray into novel drug discovery, or discovery of new molecules, which had so far been primarily a preserve of multinational companies.

Ranbaxy had till date focused primarily on novel drug delivery systems, generics, and just one or two new chemical entities. However, all that changed with the opening up of the company's third research & development centre in Gurgaon, which would focus exclusively on novel drug discovery.

Inaugurated by President APJ Abdul Kalam, the facility is the latest addition to Ranbaxy's two other already existing centres, focussing mainly on the development of generics and novel drug delivery systems.

"The new R&D centre would employ around 700 scientists and researching in the fields of medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, infectious diseases, molecular technologies and herbal medicine," said Tejinder Khanna, chairman, RLL.

When quizzed about the investment incurred on the new R&D centre, a Ranbaxy spokesperson declined to peg any particular figure, saying that it was an addition to an existing facility.

Speaking on the occasion, President Kalam said "The great quality of an R&D centre was to provide vision to a company," adding, molecule to drug was a business for strong business minds with a capability for calculated risks.

"My vision for Ranbaxy was to see 4-5 molecules transform themselves into drugs in the next 10 years from your stable. Only then you would have arrived," Kalam commented.

He also expressed his concern over the out licensing of new molecules by Indian companies to MNCs and assured regulatory simplification that would shorten the time line for a drug to reach the market.

"The company already had a new chemical entity (NCE) for malaria in Phase II trials while several others in various stages of development in urology, respiratory, metabolic and infectious disease segments," informed Malvinder Singh, president, pharmaceuticals, RLL.

Ranbaxy, which has seen tough times in the US markets in the recent past, is gearing up for the train of blockbuster drugs going off patent in 2006-07.

It spends about 7 per cent of its annual global revenues on R&D as of now and is planning to increase it to 10 per cent to brace up for the challenges in world pharma markets, which have seen drying research pipelines and excessive price competition in generics.