Deys Medical Identifies Ayurveda As Thrust Area

Taking into account the widespread interest in herbal medicines in the West, the company has put on its agenda a higher turnout of these forms of drugs. It has chosen production of ayurvedic drugs as its new thrust area in future.

The company joint managing director, Ranjit Dey, said that the company has decided to add three more ayurvedic products this year to its shelf of seven already being marketed.

Dey's has so far been mainly engaged in the allopathic and cosmetics sectors in almost equal proportion in its production schedule. Herbal has become a new sector for the company.

 

The company's plan for developing a chemicals division at its acquired 6 acres plot of land at Uluberia's industrial estate has just started. Dey's Medical has estimated of a good market for its chemical products in the eastern region of the country. Only about Rs 1 crore will be invested initially for this project.

Dey's has suffered a setback to shift some of its production base to a new site on a 3 acre plot land given to it by CMDA on the eastern by-pass.

But the company has failed to get possession of the land despite change of site effected by CMDA in the immediate past.

The company which has 25 pharmaceutical products with 60 dosage forms is still smarting under withdrawal of six products having combination mainly with chloramphnicals.

After these combination drugs being banned Dey's Medical has lost sales turnover of nearly Rs 14 crore. At present, the pharmaceutical sector is operating at 50 per cent of its full capacity.

To compensate the loss Dey's has taken up pharmaceutical products like diclofenac sodium in tablets forms and in gel apart from amoxycillin, histafen (anti-allergic) and livira capsules and tablets.

Anti-malarial drugs will be the new focus for the company after the fresh spurt of the disease in the Asian countries.

Ranjit Dey said only a small investment will be required to meet the new strategy on the pharmaceutical sector as only balancing equipment would be installed and existing machines will be updated.

Dey's Medical will also lay stress on manufacture of off-patent drugs by the turn of the century keeping in pace with the new patent regime that will emerge in the year 2005.