Over 200 drugs under development, top 50 with $30 bn potential: Cipla

The firm also aims to grow share of its North America business to overall sales to up to 25% by 2020

Charting out its next phase of growth, homegrown drug major Cipla is banking on over 200 drugs under development out of which "top 50 projects have potential of over $30 billion".

The Mumbai-based firm is also aiming to grow share of its North America business to overall sales to up to 25% by 2020 on the back of intensified focus on R&D and filing for more approvals of generic drugs in the US.

In a investor presentation, the company said it has strong product development and filing capabilities with "market leading respiratory and HIV portfolio with continuous R&D underway".

Elaborating on the pipeline for new drugs, Cipla said it has over 200 drugs under development with the top 50 projects having potential of over $30 billion.

These top 50 projects include therapeutic areas of respiratory, oncology, antiretroviral and others with 20 in solid oral form of delivery, 13 injectibles, 12 inhalation and five in other delivery forms.

Spelling out the company's target for the North American business, Cipla said it plans maintain momentum of filing 10 to 15 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) per year and emphasise on limited competition opportunities.

It said the aim is to grow it "from current 8% to 20-25% of overall sales by 2020".

In the fiscal year ended March 31, Cipla had total income from operations of Rs 11,345.44 crore.

In order to expand the business in North America, Cipla said it has "levers in place to achieve successful transition from pure B2B to Direct plus B2B model in the US, backed by our capabilities in respiratory, HIV and oncology".

The firm said it will also leverage key partner relationships for launch of first-to-market and differentiated generics products such as Esomeprazole, Dymista Nasal Spray, Budesonide Respules, Escitalopram and Finasteride.

The company said it also plans to strengthen organic presence in North American market to drive success Cipla label products and to launch differentiated respiratory and oncology pipeline in near future.

It is also planning to launch the product pipeline of Invagen post acquisition completion and realise synergies, it added. Cipla in September had announced entering into an agreement to acquire US-based InvaGen Pharmaceuticals for $500 million.