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Orchid Healthcare, the formulations division of Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals, hopes to clock a turnover of Rs 300 crore in the next five years, up from Rs 25 crore recorded in its first year (1999-2000) of operations.

Announcing the launch of five new products yesterday, Orchid Healthcare managing director Raghavendra Rao said exports would account for 25 per cent of the formulations division's Rs 300-crore turnover.

This year itself a small beginning has been made and about

5-7 per cent of the turnover is expected to be contributed by exports.

By March 2000, the company will have a portfolio of 25 products and plans to launch 3-4 products every quarter.

The new products launched

yesterday include Orfix, a third generation oral cephalosporin, AMS, an anti bacterial and

Dilace, Lismol and Amtenol

in the anti-hypersensitive category.

The company has identified five core therapeutic segments in which it will concentrate on _ antibiotics, pain management, hypertensives, neutraceuticals and osteoporosis.

While chalking out its marketing strategy for the formulations division, the company will build on its leadership position in the cephalosporin range and seek an entry into more competitive segments like cardiovascular drugs through general practitioners and then move to specialist products.

Thus, the company is entering this segment with the launch of hypertensives.

Orchid Healthcare's product specialisation will cover the antibiotic, NSAID, cardiovascular and nutraceutical segments.

For this, the company is setting up a state-of-the-art sterile and oral formulation facility at Irungattukottai, near Chennai, which will conform to international regulatory requirements and provide a manufacturing base for exports.

Simultaneously, the company is also working on herbal formulations and will go through the full development protocol for these drugs.

By establishing the chemica