Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) is all set to become the first Indian biotech company to come out with a new therapeutic molecule, a cardiovascular thrombolytic agent (clot-bursting drug).
“This is a brand new molecule called THR 100. Nowhere in the world this product is currently available,” BBIL chairman and managing director, Krishna M Ella, told Business Standard.
The company has successfully completed Phase I and II trials of the new drug and Phase III clinical trials are currently in progress. “In biologicals, if Phase II trials are successful, the Phase III trials are automatically successful,” Ella said, adding the new vaccine will be commercialised in a span of six months.
At present, doctors administer either Streptokinase or tPA (Tissue Plasmonigen Activator) to persons who suffer a heart attack. These will dissolve clots in the arteries of the heart wall.
“The poor people are administered Streptokinase that costs about Rs 4,000 a dose and the rich people are given tPA that is being imported and costs between Rs 35,000 and Rs 40,000 a dose. We are launching a product, which is better than tPA but at the price of Streptokinase,” Ella stated.
According to Ella, the global market size for the vaccine is estimated to be around $1 billion. “However, how much money we make from it is a different matter.”
Stating that BBIL can’t be good in all fields, he said one of the weaknesses of the company was marketing, Hence, BBIL would tie up with a big multinational company to market the product.
With four more new molecules in the pipeline, Ella said there would be a significant jump in the company’s turnover in the next two years from the current level of Rs 300 crore.
“All the products are in various stages of clinical trials and we envisage that the company’s turnover will touch Rs 2,000 crore five years down the line,” he said.
