Shreya Life expects fall in insulin prices

With the commissioning of the biotech facility of Shreya Life Sciences Pvt Ltd at Pune, the prices of recombinant DNA human insulin would fall sharply.

Shreya Life is the Indian arm of the Moscow-based Shreya Group.

Company officials said in Ahmedabad that in the first phase Shreya has launched Reconsulin, a recombinant DNA human insulin, which it is importing as a finished product from Bioton, Poland.

Although it is being imported at the moment, a 40 ml vial of recombinant human insulin costs Rs 128, about Rs 17 lesser than products by other companies.

"Once we start manufacturing the product at our facility in Pune by December, the price of a 40 ml vial will definitely be in two figures, as we will entirely eliminate five-six stages of development of the product, as a result of a superior technology," said B S V Naidu, sales manager, Shreya Life Sciences.

While the finished product is being imported in the first phase, crystals will be imported in the second phase, which will be formulated at the company's Aurangabad manufacturing facility.

From December, the Rs 350 crore SLSPL will begin manufacturing recombinant human insulin at its upcoming facility at Pune, company officials said.

The company uses the US-based Biotechnology General Corporation's (BTGC) technology, which does not use the conventional methionine as a linker molecule (first generation technologies require this molecule), but uses lysine and arginine, recosulin is prepared in 19-stage operations, said Arvind Jha, general manager, medical and clinical services.