Native Drugs to relaunch Dentagum paste

Amritsar based-Native Drugs Private Ltd is planning to relaunch its herbal toothpaste, Dentagum, in April. Although the product was launched in 1999, due to marketing problems it had to be wrapped up.

The company is looking for a tie-up with a marketing company. It is also planning to launch "Reslim" (obesity drug) and "Vigorforte" (used to keep the testosterone balance).

The company manufactures various ayurvedic medicines and herbal dietary supplements. Recently it infused a fresh capital of Rs 15 lakh to increase the manufacturing capacity of the plant and expand the covered area.

Native Drugs Director Ashok K Aggarawal told Business Standard, "For marketing purposes, the talks are at a preliminary stage. Once the things get streamlined , we hope to sell 20 crore toothpaste packets (50 gram), per annum in the domestic market and the USA." He added that the test marketing response was overwhelming.

The toothpaste is to be launched in April. It will be available in 3-4 variants. The ingredients of the herbal toothpaste are Babool, Katha, Maju, Amla, Phatkari, Akarkra etc. He said the toothpaste would prevent plaque formation and deposition for 8-10 hours after application.

The increase in the number of dental patients has pushed up the demand for herbal toothpastes in India, he said. The company will also launch the toothpaste in the US. He added there was a huge potential in the US, as more and more people were opting for herbal products.

This year the company is likely to post Rs 1 crore turnover, and exports are likely to account for 90 per cent of the revenue.