Pfizer, Claris Lifesciences to market injectables

Leading pharmaceutical company, Pfizer Inc., has entered into a partnership with Ahmedabad-based Claris Lifesciences Limited to commercialise sterile injectible drugs that are off-patent and have lost exclusivity in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. These drugs cover a range of therapeutic areas including anti-infectives, antibiotics other critical care products.

According to Kelvin Cooper, senior vice president, portfolio development, established products, Pfizer, "The agreement represents our strategy to transform Pfizer's off-patent drugs and established products portfolio from becoming a declining business to a growing business. A partnership with Claris will help expand our steriles portfolio and provide patients with a wide offering of high quality affordable medicines. Off-patent medicines, including branded generics, represent one of the fastest growth segments in the global pharmaceutical market."

The research-based biopharma company had visited Claris several times in the last four months before finalising on the company for the tie-up.

Pfizer, which has a global annual sales of $10 billion for established products, recently expanded an agreement with Aurobindo Pharma to supply finished dosage products. Under the terms of the agreements, Pfizer has acquired rights to 55 solid oral dose products and five sterile injectable products in the US, Europe and France. Pfizer will supply 60 products in more than 70 countries throughout Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. "As part of the deal, while Pfizer will bring in 30 products, Claris and Aurobindo will bring in 15 products each to be marketed under the Pfizer label. We also aim to make more than 100 products available across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand," Cooper added.

While the financial terms of the deal were not diclosed, officials at Claris said the deal would take about six to twelve months to materialise and would add more products if both the companies found suitable molecules. Officials further said that a co-branding is possible if there is a regulatory requirement.

According to Arjun Handa, managing director and CEO, Claris Lifesciences, "It is the era of alliances and partnerships and with the big shifts happening in the global pharmaceutical industry, this relationship will keep Claris at the forefront of change. Through Pfizer, we will get access to extremely competent sales and marketing partner for our regulated markets strategy in order to enhance our existing presence in these markets. We have been a focused company in sterile injectables and this relationship with Pfizer will help us to continue our focus in the segment, while expanding our product lines and market access."