Hetero Drugs bags approval to unveil anti-AIDS drug in India

March 12, 2001

Anju Ghangurde

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Forwarded by Dr. E. Mohamed Rafique <emrafi@...>

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Mumbai, March 11: The Hyderabad-based Hetero Drugs, which drew global

attention with its generic AIDS drugs offer last week, has received

clearance from the Drugs Controller General of India for introducing an

anti-AIDS drug, nelfinavir, in the country. The company has also chalked out

plans to enter the biotech segment as part of its growth strategy.

Hetero Drugs director (business development) Dharmesh M Shah told The

Financial Express that the company's nelfinavir domestic launch was likely

by March 18. " Hetero has already launched Indivir (indinavir) in the market

and by April end we expect to launch our entire anti-AIDS range in India, "

he added.

Hetero has been making commercial sales of a basket of AIDS drugs including

lamivudine, nevirapine, stavudine and zidovudine to Brazil and has also

bagged a $24 million tender to supply a basket of AIDS active pharmaceutical

ingredients (APIs) including lamivudine, indinavir and stavudine to

Argentina. Hetero's alliance partners in Argentina include Richmond, Kampel

and Filaxis, among others.

" We are also implementing orders worth around $12 million to Brazil and

Argentina during the first three months of 2001, " Mr Shah added.

Hetero Drugs has already offered to supply Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF), a

basket of approximately eight anti-AIDS drugs, at over 100 per cent discount

to the prices offered by the multinationals, that hold the patents. Drugs on

offer include nelfinavir, indinavir, abacavir, zidovudine, ritonavir and

efavirenz. This offer is over and above Hetero's $347 (per patient, per

year) supply proposal to governments and the MSF for a cocktail of three

anti-AIDS drugs. On the company's biotech foray (though in a nascent stage),

Mr Shah said that the company has acquired land in the Bollaram area in

Hyderabad to house its proposed biotechnology activities. " We would want to

be a fully integrated player in the biotech segment, " he said.

Hetero Drugs to tap market this year

" A final decision will be made at the company's forthcoming board meeting, "

he said. The Hetero group comprises: Hetero Drugs, Hetero Labs, Cyrex Labs,

Symed Labs, Kabira, Geneix Pharma and Virdev Intermediates. Mr Shah added

that the group will consider merging the operations of Hetero Drugs, Hetero

Labs and Geneix Pharma.

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