Life Pharma Launches 4 Drugs

Life Pharmaceuticals, a Kolkata-based pharma company manufacturing hematological medicines, has developed four new herbal drugs, including one for treatment of diabetes.

The company, promoted by Subhobrato Roy, has identified alternative medicines, both herbal and coral, as the growth area for future.

The new drugs are for treatment of diabetes, ulcer, rheumatism and thyroid ailments. The drug for ulcer, Swasti, has hit the market and is reportedly doing well. Life Pharma is now looking to the success of its diabetic drug, Diastol.

"The company has begun negotiations with a US pharma giant which is currently trying the drug on animals. Thereafter, the drug will undergo various tests. If found satisfactory, the multinational may forge a tie-up with Life for manufacturing as well marketing the drug in the international market," Sudip K Ghosh, managing director, Life Pharma said.

 

Diastol is expected to hit the Indian market in September this year. The company expects to corner 10 per cent market share of the Rs 25 crore per day diabetic medicine market in India.

The feedback from patients and doctors is positive, Ghosh claimed. The medicine for ulcer is expected to fetch nearly Rs 20 crore in sales.

The new drugs are the products of Life's R&D laboratory in Tollygunge, Kolkata. The setup, founded in 1999, is supported by Calcutta University Science College, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology and BC Roy Post Graduate Medicine Institute.

The challenge before Life Pharma now is to market its four new drugs. The company has three manufacturing setups in Uluberia and Garia near Kolkata, and in Patna. It has appointed Hyderabad-based Pharmasia the loan licencee to cater to the southern market.

Ghosh rued the report that low ad-spend has become a hindrance for promoting a number of medicines, including Swasti.

The drugs for rheumatism and thyroid are in the trial stage and will hit the market soon, stretching the advertising budget even further.