Wockhardt Inks Marketing Deal With 2 Japanese Firms

Pharma major Wockhardt has signed agreements with two Japanese firms to facilitate exclusive marketing of their products in the country.

Pharmaceutical companies, Hisamitsu and Daiichi, have licensed their products to Wockhardt. The drugs are in the therapeutic segment of haemostatics and anti-pain drug delivery systems.

Wockhardt chairman and managing director Habil Khorakiwala said these were the first few of a series of products that would be marketed by the company.

Daiichi is said to be one of Japan's top three pharmaceutical firms and Hisamitsu is a strong player in topical pain management.

Wockhardt will pay a royalty to the Japanese firms, besides sourcing the active ingredient from them.

It has also entered into a strategic alliance with Nordic firm Ferring Pharmaceuticals for the marketing of Wallis products in the Scandinavian countries.

In the first five months of the current fiscal, the company has registered a 30 per cent increase in sales to Rs 220 crore. Wockhardt and Merind's combined turnover posted a 26 per cent increase to Rs 320 crore. International sales from Wallis Labs on an annualised basis is $18 million.

The company has identified areas such as novel drug delivery systems, chiral chemistry and recombinant biotechnology as the focus of research efforts. Further, Wockhardt has developed two anti-infective compounds. It is carrying out a detailed evaluation on them.

In the area of biotechnology, the company expects to launch a Hepatitis B vaccine early next year.

It has also received US FDA approval for ranitidine tablets and the bulk drug.

Wockhardt has discontinued manufacture of Decdan injections at Merind's Bhandup facility and contracted out the manufacturing. Over 10 per cent of its production is contract-manufactured.

A resolution for buyback was passed at the firm's annual general meeting yesterday. However, the rider attached was the buyback should not amount to more than 5 per cent of paid-up capital.

Another resolution to issue equity shares without voting rights was also passed. It was decided that such an issue should not increase the paid- up capital by not more than 20 per cent.