Pharma firms eye in-licensing opportunities

Indian pharmaceutical companies such as Ranbaxy and Wockhardt are now increasingly looking at in-licensing opportunities from overseas companies as an option to boost their domestic drug sales and to quickly access technologies.

Wockhardt announced the in-licensing of its first anti-wrinkle product B-Lift from Syrio Pharma of Italy this week. It in-licensed Kelocate, a silicone gel to treat scars from Advanced Biotechnologies of the US last week. In Januarythis year, Wockhardt had in-licensed Viticolor, a skin camouflage gel for topical application for vitiligo patients (leucoderma) from Crawford Healthcare of UK and Vitix, another drug for leucoderma from LSI of UK.

"Technological in-licensing is an option for the companies to save on investment in research and development and this is decided depending on the brand, technology, raw material, market potential or disease segment. Indian companies have exposure to the world markets and know the latest technological advancements happening all over the world. In-licensing is an easy option to leverage that technology in the emerging patent protected scenario," noted Dr R B Smarta, managing director, Interlink Marketing Consultancy.

"Life style diseases and chronic therapies are the two important areas of growth in the domestic market. Indian companies are mainly concentrating to leverage technologies in this segment, if we look at the pattern of in-license deals in the recent past," noted an analyst in Mumbai.

According to Habil Khorakiwala, chairman, Wockhardt, the company will launch B-Lift in India in the third quarter of 2007.

The company, which is targeting $1 billion turnover by 2009, is creating a separate division to market its skin-derma care brands in India.

Analysts note that Wockhardt's plans are to generate 40 per cent of its turnover from the domestic market by 2009 and the company is planning to add two new focus divisions in the field of dermaceuticals and oncology in 2007. Currently more than 50 per cent of its turnover are from the US and European markets.

Recently Ranbaxy Laboratories launched in the Indian market Niftran, a drug to treat urinary tract infections and Eligard for the palliative treatment (management of symptoms) of advanced prostate cancer, both in-licensed from QLT Inc. of USA. During last year, Ranbaxy had entered into an in-licensing agreement for the Indian domestic market, with the Netherlands based pharma company, Eurodrug Laboratories, for the asthma product Doxophylline. Dr Reddy's Lab also in-licensed Doxophylline for the Indian market under license agreement from Kent Union, Hong Kong and marketing cooperation with Eurodrug Laboratories BV.

Another pharma major Lupin in-licensed a cardiovascular critical care product, Enoxaparin Sodium Injection, in pre-filled syringes under the brand name "Lupenox" from ItalFarmaco, a leading Italian pharmaceutical company.

During October, last year, another pharma major Torrent Pharmaceuticals entered into an agreement with Tasly, one of China's largest pharma companies, to exclusively market their blockbuster drug, cardio-tonic pill, in India.

Elder Pharmaceuticals is another Indian company specialised in in-licensing and it recently in-licensed from Roche to market osteoporosis drug, Bonviva, in India. Elder Healthcare, its subsidiary, has in-licensing arrangement with Singapore's Haw Par Healthcare for Tiger Balm and US's Blistex Inc for lip care range and some other in-licensing agreements for over the counter products.