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Throughout the year 2005-06, one saw Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International (BBIL) announce new initiatives. It launched products like REGEN-D, a specialized therapeutic for diabetic foot ulcers, burns and skin grafts. It established a manufacturing and marketing agreement with Acambis Plc, relating to Acambis' ChimeriVax-JE investigational vaccine against Japanese Encephalitis. Novavax Inc. and BBIL announced a strategic alliance to pursue the rapid development of pandemic influenza vaccine. Under the terms of the agreement, Bharat Biotech will fund all preclinical and clinical development, work with Novavax on optimal manufacturing processes, and be responsible for the commercialization of the vaccine. In return Novavax will receive unrestricted access to all preclinical and clinical data, and a royalty on all sales.
Also it proposed to set up an overseas plant in Perak, Malaysia to produce vaccines for typhoid and Hepatitis B, besides other recombinant products. Dr Krishna M Ella, chairman and managing director, said it would be investing about RM50 million in the new plant's manufacturing, and research and development divisions. Bharat Biotech signed a memorandum of agreement with Remco Engineering and Consultancy Sdn Bhd and Perak Development Corporation (PDC) towards this.
These developments will take some time to fructify. These actions have been in line with its focus-work on novel products, tap contract manufacturing and research opportunities and produce biogenerics. As part of that strategy, BBIL has an internal marketing team with all India presence and has export activities through partners. BBIL has ongoing marketing alliances with companies like Intas, Lupin, Nicholas Piramal, Wockhardt, and VHB. BBIL in 2005 did a total biotech business of Rs 48.1 crore, a growth of over 26 percent over that in 2004-06. It is a leading player in the vaccines for prevention against Hepatitis B and typhoid. It has a strong contract manufacturing focus too. It is the first company in the country to be approved by Korean FDA for manufacture of biologicals. It manufactures HibTITER for Wyeth too. BBIL expects to witness over 40 percent growth during 2006-07.
