Biocon bags Rs 460 crore contract for insulin in Malaysia

Biocon will distribute insulins and insulin delivery devices through CCM Pharmaceuticals, a leading local pharmaceutical player which has an extensive supply chain network to service primary healthcare clinics and hospitals across Malaysia. 

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson & managing director, Biocon, said, “We are pleased to support the Ministry of Health of Malaysia in providing high quality, affordable, rh-insulin for people with diabetes in Malaysia. It is a matter of pride that this is a Made in Malaysia insulin product manufactured by Biocon Sdn Bhd at the BioXcell Biotech Park in Nusajaya,

Johor. We expect our Malaysian facility to cater to the growing needs for affordable insulins across the globe.”

Rapid urbanisation, changing lifestyles and sub-optimal dietary habits are leading to a high incidence of diabetes in Malaysia, with over 3.3 million people currently diagnosed with diabetes. The Malaysian government spends nearly about $ 566 per year on every diabetic and with the number of people with diabetes projected to cross over 4.5 million by 2020, it will impact the government’s healthcare expenditure significantly. Locally manufactured affordable rh-insulin has the potential to reduce the diabetes treatment cost burden and increase the access to insulin therapy for diabetes patients in Malaysia.

Rh-insulin is the first product from Biocon’s Malaysian facility, set up with an investment of MYR 1.1 billion. Biocon, one the leading producers of insulins in Asia, has been the first company from India to introduce biosimilar insulin glargine in Japan in 2016. It has received regulatory approvals for rh-insulin in over 60 emerging markets and is providing the product in many of these markets through its local partners. The company had earlier announced the regulatory filing with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for biosimilar insulin glargine validated at the Malaysian facility.