Pharmaceutical Firms Scout For R & D Professionals

To be in the right mode to face challenges in the post-patents regime after 2005, domestic pharmaceutical companies have gone on a hiring binge for research and development (R&D) professionals.

Many pharmaceutical firms are also increasing their spending in R&D. Top chemical and pharmaceutical companies in the job market to hire senior professionals include Ajanta Pharma, USV, Shasun Chemicals, Indofil and FMC Corporation.

Companies which are enhancing their R&D funds include Dr Reddy's, Wockhardt, Morepen and JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals.

"Though we cannot comment on the specific R&D budget for the year, we expect an increase and expect it to range around 6.5-7 per cent of the total turnover during current fiscal," a spokesman at Dr Reddy's said.

 

"With the 2005 World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime in mind, many pharmaceutical companies are concentrating now on NCEs (new chemical entities ) and NDDS (new drug delivery systems). Though the WTO regime is going to be led by patent era, the domestic pharma firms with their process engineering skills/reverse engineering skills can always prove to be a synergistic partners with the multinational R&D initiatives," said VVLN Sastry, country head, Firstcall India Equity Advisors.

The R&D employee strength in the drug discovery programme of Dr Reddy's is 211 and it has another 15 scientists at Reddy US Therapeutics in the US.

The drug discovery programme at Dr Reddy's is focused on areas such as metabolic disorders (with an emphasis on type 2 diabetes), cancer, inflammation and pain management and anti-infectives.

Morepen, an over-the-counter pharmaceutical major, has already doubled its R&D spend during last fiscal and now plans to cough up more in the coming months.

JB Chemicals, according to the company executives, is planning to invest Rs 50 crore in the next three years, while Wockhardt, which has also focus on the biotech sector, is chalking out R&D strategies.

"We are also likely to see some Indian companies opting for alliances with MNCs for contract R&D management. India can offer cost effective technologies and a pool of scientists. The shift towards R&D will open opportunities for scientists in India and abroad," pharmaceutical sector analysts said.

While Ajanta Pharma is recruiting professionals for its drug regulatory affairs and analytical development, Shasun Chemicals, one of the largest makers of Ibuprofen worldwide, is hiring more for its R&D centre in Chennai. It is looking for people with PhD in molecular biology/microbiology and BTech (chemical engineering) for its projects, while scientists with PhD and MSc in synthetic organic chemistry will be accommodated in the R&D centre.

A multi-divisional healthcare company ranked 19th in the Indian pharmaceutical industry, USV, is strengthening its R&D base in Mumbai with emphasis on biotechnology by hiring more research scientists and associates with PhD background in molecular biology/biotechnology.

"It is true that many scientists who worked abroad are also coming back to catch on to the wave of biotech. As the India initiatives in biotechnology in R&D are fast catching up the attention of world majors, a base in India with the upstream support from US or Europe is perceived to be a profitable venture for many of these sector experts," Sastry added.

The US-based FMC Corporation, leading producers of chemicals for industry and agriculture, which has an R&D unit at IISc Campus, Bangalore, is eyeing scientists to head the centre.

The centre undertakes process research and development for FMC's agri products business and also does collaborative research with IISc.

An Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical company, with a turnover of Rs 500 crore, is also in the market looking for a head to run its R&D formulations facility. The company already has a strong base in basic and applied research with a team of more than 150 scientists.

Indofil Chemicals, which is engaged in the agro and specialty chemical business, is set to hire someone who can take responsibility for all R&D initiatives in areas such as organic, textile, polymers and leather chemicals.

The company is planning to commercialise new molecules for attaining and retaining its leadership position.