Dr Reddy's Research Foundation (DRF), the research arm of Dr Reddy's Laboratories, has identified research activities in the diabetes segment as its thrust area.
This follows its findings that there has been a global increase in the incidence of diabetes as a result of changes in lifestyles. According to sources in the company, DRF currently holds 15 US patents and 13 Indian patents in this area.
Added to this, 14 of its patent co-operation treaty (PCT) applications have entered the national stage relating to products for the treatment of diabetes.
Filing with PCT will give an opportunity to the company to choose the country where it intends to file the patents within 18 patents. So far, the company has filed 36 patent applications in the US, 14 with PCT and 26 in the country in the diabetes segment.
Way back in 1997, the company had entered into an agreement with Novo Nordisk, the world's second largest diabetes management company and the largest producer of insulin. Since then, the company has licensed one more molecule to Novo Nordisk.
The third molecule has been licensed to Novartis. On the licensing of the third molecule to Novartis, when the earlier molecules were licensed to Novo Nordisk, a source in the company said, "compared to the latter, the former is a much bigger company which has spent about $2.4 billion on R&D in 2000. So, naturally, it is a good opportunity to have an agreement with Novartis."
