Natco Pharma, Pakistani firm in technology sharing pact

BioAsia 2005

Lahore-based Medipak Limited and Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for sharing technology related to manufacture of oncology products.

Speaking to Business Standard, Khalid J Chowdhry, chairman and managing director of Medipak Limited, said, "The MoU, which was signed today, is initially for a two-year period and can be extended depending on how the relations develop."

According to him, Natco would supply raw materials and the technology required for the manufacture of two oncology products. Chowdhry, however, declined to disclose the cost that Medipak would have to pay for the technology transfer.

Medipak is also in talks with two other Hyderabad-based companies, Bharat Biotech and Shantha Biotech, for possible partnerships in the near future. "The final outcome will be known only on Saturday," he said.

According to Chowdhry, more and more Pakistani biotechnology companies are looking for help from India. "There are only 12 biotech companies in Pakistan that depend on the Western companies for all their needs. But now we expect things to change because of the help we are getting from the Indian companies," he said.

"Some Pakistani companies have already signed MoUs with four Indian companies, and we expect the number to increase during this year's conference," he added.

He said that the Pakistani government is keen on establishing ties in this sector with India, because the technology transfer from Western countries is very expensive and Indian companies offer it very economically.

"The government is open for importing raw materials and on sharing intellectual property but has imposed a ban on finished products," Chowdhry said.

According to Anwar Nasim, advisor, science and national commission of biotechnology, Pakistan, "Indian companies are coming forward to help their counterparts on various aspects like forming joint ventures and technology transfer, which is very good for the industry to develop in Pakistan."

According to him, the Pakistani government has recently released a list of 150 finished products that can be imported from India and was hopeful that a couple of them would be related to the pharmaceutical sector.

"The Pakistani government has been liberalising the regulations governing the biotechnology sector in the country. It is also providing a lot of funding to the sector in an effort to make it grow into an industry," he said. Apart from India, Pakistani firms are also looking at companies in Argentina and one such MoU has already been signed.

Nasim also said that a three-day conference is being organised in Lahore in May where eminent scientists from India including M S Swaminathan would interact with their counter parts in Pakistan.

"The Indian scientists would explain the innovations in the agriculture and pharmaceutical sector," he said. He also hoped that more student exchange programmes takes place between the two countries.