Softgel sets up contract manufacturing facility

Softgel Healthcare Pvt Ltd, an associate of Madras Pharamceuticals, has set up a contract manufacturing facility near Chennai at an investment of Rs 25 crore to manufacture softgel capsules for regulated markets.

The new plant, spread over 65,000 sq ft, has four manufacturing lines for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. It will have a capacity to produce about 1.2 billion capsules per year.

Addressing a press conference, Sidharth Baid, executive director, Softgel, said that pharma companies from UK, USA, Canada, Singapore, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Mexico were in the advanced stages of discussion with Sofgel to utilise its facility for contract manufacturing.

The new plant has already received WHO-GMP certification and the company is working towards obtaining compliance certification from other regulatory agencies like USFDA, MHRA (UK), TPD (Canada), ENVISA(Brazil) and TGA (Australia).

He said that the plant would cater to regulated markets not only as a contract manufacturer but also as a file ANDA (abbreviated new drug application), in partnership with overseas pharma companies.

The company has filed one ANDA for a drug which would be patented in 2008, he said. He added that the company was planning to file five ANDAs in the next three years.

"The company's primary focus would be the generic market. We are targeting a turnover of Rs 100 crore in the next three years", he added.

The Chennai-based company is also planning to set up a highly sophisticated facility for injectibles in Pondicherry at an estimated investment of Rs 50 crore.

Baid said that the plan was in the initial stages and it had started the process of acquiring the land in the Union territory.