Parenteral Drugs to launch self dialysis kit

The Indore-based Parenteral Drugs (India) Ltd has developed a self-administering dialysis kit which reduces the cost of kidney failure treatment.

The company is set to launch the kit by this year-end, as soon as the relevant clinical trials are completed.

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, Parenteral Drugs president Lalit Mittal also announced the launch of Rofpic and Valpic "" two non-steroid anti-inflammatory analgesic drugs.

Saying that the kit would reduce the monthly dialysis costs by 25-50 per cent as compared to the existing ones, Mittal said using the kit patients can perform dialysis at home without the aid of medical professionals. The kit performs dialysis through the peritoneal route.

The popular form of dialysis available at present is hemodialysis which costs up to Rs 15,000 per month and requires hospitalisation.

The approximate cost of Parenteral Drug's kit would be around Rs 7,500 per month, Mittal added.

Imported kits currently cost in the range of Rs 20,000-30,000 per month for administering treatment at home.

Mittal said, "Over the last two years, our company has successfully launched four other drugs in Kerala namely Hopril, Atzaar, Ceftiwin and Ceface, which today have a strong foothold in the anti-hyper tension and anti-bacterial drugs segment. Encouraged by the positive response and the support of the medical community of Kerala, we decided to launch the two new anti-inflammatory analgesic drugs here."

The company, which currently has its depot located at Kakkanad in Kochi, also announced the setting up of its second depot at Thiruvananthapuram.

"The opening of the depot shall help us to synergise the operations of the group in this region," said M L Gupta, chairman and managing director of the company.

Founded with an initial capacity of 5,000 bottles of IV fluids in polypropylene containers, today the company manufactures 12 crore bottles of IV Fluids annually, 3,000 lakh of tablets and 1,700 lakh of sterile water for injection pack.

It commenced production of IV Fluids in polypropylene bottles for the first time ever as against the commonly used glass bottles.

Currently Parenteral Drugs has a countrywide marketing network comprising 35 sales depots and approximately 3,000 stockists managed by 500 field executives.

"We have ambitious plans to diversify into the field of small volume injectables and liquid orals. A state-of-the-art facility for the above is coming up at Indore where the commercial production shall commence by the end of this month," said chief executive officer Anil Mittal.

Claiming that his company has achieved remarkable growth in the last five years with its turnover rising from Rs 35 crore in 1998 to Rs 150 crore in 2003-2004, he said, "By 2008 our company is confident of achieving a turnover of Rs 500 crore."