Cadila Healthcare (Zydus Cadila), one of India's leading healthcare players and Mayne Pharma, a leading Australia based pharmaceuticals company, have entered into a joint venture (JV) for manufacturing generic injectable, anti-cancer medicines as well as active pharmaceuticals ingredients (API), for global markets. The companies will set up a new facility for this purpose.Cadila and Mayne will equally share the investment in construction and validation costs of the new facility. The plant will manufacture both solution and freeze-dried products and have a maximum capacity of approximately 10-12 million vials per annum. Construction of the new facility will begin in the second quarter of 2005 in Gujrat. The first set of products is expected to be launched around the middle of 2007 and will be marketed globally by both companies in different territories.Initially, the focus will be on defined range of generic, injectable cytotoxic medicines where there is an opportunity to capitalise on both the development and manufacturing benefits available in India as well as also capturing potential vertical integration benefits that will come with the internal production of the API. Over time, both companies will assess opportunities to manufacture other generic injectable cytotoxic products at this facility.The JV allows Mayne to diversify its manufacturing capabilities improve its speed to market and address future capacity requirements. Zydus Cadila, which has forged several win-win partnerships and alliances, gains a partner with expertise in manufacturing and marketing of injectable oncology products and other specialty products in the global market.Speaking on the new development, Mr. Pankaj R Patel, Chairman and Managing Director of Cadial said, "The opportunities that emerge from a long term strategic agreement such as this are enormous. With both partners pooling their strengths there is a tremendous advantage in terms of expertise, cost benefits and technology which does not just benefit both companies but cascades to the community at large in terms of employment generation and better, healthcare therapies".
