Cipla's former MD Amar Lulla dies

Amar Lulla, non-executive director of leading pharmaceutical firm Cipla, died this morning. Diagnosed with cancer, the company’s former joint managing director had stepped down from the post last December, after having spent a little over three-and-a-half decades at the company.

He was credited with making HIV/AIDS drugs globally available at a remarkably cheaper price, mainly in African countries.

M K Hamied, Joint MD, said, “It is a very tragic moment. We were privileged to have him in Cipla in various capacities for over 35 years. His contribution has been simply pivotal. We all pray that his soul may rest in peace and our hearts go out to all his family members.”

 

Born in October 1948 and having qualified as a chartered accountant, he joined Cipla in 1976. He joined the Board of Directors in 1990 and was appointed as Joint MD in 2000. He was responsible for the operations, including international business, manufacturing, technical services, finance and administration.

He had stepped down as Joint MD on December 13, 2010, on expiry of his contract, telling the company he was not in a position to continue his services in that capacity. In deference of his wishes, the Board accepted the request.

During his tenure, Cipla had launched a three-drug cocktail for AIDS treatment at less than $1/day, one-fifteenth of the price at which multinational corporations sold HIV drugs in western markets. In 2001, a year after Lulla took charge as Joint MD, Cipla decided to give the triple-therapy drug cocktail at $350 a year per patient to Medecins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders), to distribute it free in Africa.