Celestial Labs to develop drug molecules for HIV

Firm looks at revenues from licensing fees.

Hyderabad-based, Celestial Labs Ltd, a biotech company is planning to develop drug molecules of HIV and anti-depression.

Talking to Business Standard, A N Singh, managing director, Celestial Labs, said, "We are working on developing a drug molecule for HIV and anti-depression."

Under the first phase, the company will undertake complete literature review of HIV disease. Then the researchers will decide the pathway that will be taken to work on the development of HIV molecule.

It is expected that within next eight to ten months the work on the actual development of the HIV molecule will begin. Apart from chronic diseases, the company is equally keen to tap the life-style disease. Anti-depression is one of the life-style diseases that the company will be focussing on.

According to Singh, the global market size of anti-depression is worth $6-7 billion.

"We will also be coming up with drug molecule of anti-depression" said Singh. However, he made it clear that until now the company has not initiated any research work on the development of drug molecule of anti-depression.

Other major focus area for the company is oncology segment, where in the company had developed drug molecule for cancer.

"For anti-cancer, we have developed one drug molecule and its at pre-clinical stage", adds Singh. The anti-cancer drug molecule is for multiple cancer "" skin, stomach and colon cancer.

The clinical trial for drug molecule of anti-cancer will be completed in next three to four years.

The company is only involved in development and licensing of the drug molecule. "We are not into manufacturing of drugs," Singh said.

According to him, at this junction the company would like to generate revenue through upfront payment and loyalty through licensing of the drug molecules to other drug manufacturing companies.

With an expansion programme on hand, the company is entering the capital market with a public issue of Rs 30 crore to finance its new projects.

The company is setting up a plant for manufacturing industrial biotech (enzymes) like alpha amylase and alkaline protease. The company is also expanding its bio-informatics and drug molecule development.