Reliance Life to set up two units

Reliance Life Sciences is planning to set up two more large biopharmaceuticals plants at Rabale in Navi Mumbai even as its first such facility, called the Dhirubhai Ambani Lifesciences Centre (DALC), is nearing completion at the same location. The DALC is the country's largest biopharmaceuticals plant.

Company sources confirmed the development but declined to divulge the exact amount of money being invested in the two new plants.

But sources close to the developments said fresh investment could be in a range of Rs 600-Rs 700 crore.

The new plants are part of Reliance Life Sciences' proposal to set up globally accepted manufacturing facilities for biopharmaceuticals products like recombinant proteins, stem cell-based therapeutics and preventive medicines among others, for a total investment of Rs 1,500 crore spread over three years.

"The company had invested around Rs 800 crore in the first phase. The new plants, which are also in line with the international quality norms, will cater to pilot and commercial production of recombinant proteins and other biopharmaceuticals," sources close to the development said.

Reliance Life Sciences' focus in biotechnology are on molecular diagnostics, stem cell therapies and human, plant and animal tissue engineering. The addition of two new plants would make the company a leader in Asian biotechnology space, sources added.

Biopharmaceuticals is one of the fast emerging areas in medical science.

The concept of curative medicines based on regenerative tissue and cell technology, and the personalised therapeutic and preventive medicines on the basis of human gene analysis, are evolving as main areas of treatment.

These emerging treatments are found effective for preventing as well as curing complicated diseases like diabetes, various types of cancers, diabetes-induced cardiac and retinal problems, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and brain and spinal cord injuries.

In molecular diagnostics, Reliance Life Sciences has already pioneered some breakthrough diagnostic technologies for detecting breast cancer and cervical cancer.

"Reliance's facilities at Rabale have enough space to accommodate these plants, but if needed, the company is also open to looking for space at other locations in Navi Mumbai," sources pointed out.