Zydus group establishes susidiary in Japan

New Delhi, Sept 4: Making a foray in the generic drug market of Japan, global healthcare provider Zydus group has established a wholly-owned susidiary Zydus Pharma Inc to market formulation generics and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) in Japan, The group's Indian arm, Cadila Healthcare, today said that the newly formed Zydus Pharma will initiate the process for registration of products in 2007.

Besides marketing generics, the company will also explore collaborations and alliances with Japanese pharmaceutical companies in areas such as joint research and development, co-marketing, contract manufacturing for API, intermediates and formulations.

These firms would include branded or specialty firms, generic drug firms and pharmaceutical venture companies.

Zydus Pharma will be headed by Mr Kazuhiro Kawabata as the President and headquartered at Tokyo, Japan.

''We have been engaged in building healthier communities globally and reaching out to people in US, Europe, Latin America and across the world. We now have an opportunity to extend our commitment to the people of Japan. We hope to do this by leveraging our strengths and expertise as a global healthcare provider and providing innovative healthcare solutions,'' Zydus Group Chairman and Managing Director Pankaj R Patel said.

Zydus has a formulations manufacturing plant at Moraiya, Ahmedabad, approved by the USFDA, AFSSAPS, France, MHRA, UK and ANVISA, Brazil.

The plant manufactures complex dosage forms such as transdermals, inhalers (MDI/DPI), suppositories, vaccines, injectables and oral dosage forms such as tablets, hard and soft gel capsules.

Investing 10 per cent of its turnover on research, Zydus employs over 500 professionals. The group's research pipeline comprises 3 INDs - ZYH1 for treating Dyslipidemia is in Phase II clinical trials, ZYH2 for treating Diabetes and ZYII for treating Pain are in Phase 1 clinical trials. NCE ZYO1 for treating Obesity is in pre-clinical development.

UNI