The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s approval for the generic version of carbapenem-type antibiotic — imipenem-cilastatin injection — used against bacterial infections, from US-based Hospira Inc is expected to benefit its sole active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) supplier, Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (OCPL).
Hospira, on November 16, announced launch of its imipenem-cilastatin for injection in US as the first generic version of Merck’s Primaxin. The drug is estimated to have around $170 million market in the US and is expected to increase to $200 million gradually, said a source close to the development. According to reports, Primaxin recorded a sales of around $140 million in US in 2010.
Responding to a query from Business Standard, Ch Ram, head, corporate communications and investor relations, OCPL, said, “This would definitely increase our growth.”
“We have earlier given a guidance of 20 per cent growth in topline for the current fiscal and we would be growing even more than that with supply for this product,” he added. However, he refused to give out guidance on the revenue from sales of API for the product.
It is to be noted that OCPL announced sales of its generic injectable business, which includes the manufacturing facility in Chennai, to Hospira for a consideration of around Rs 1,900 crore.
OCPL has a long-term contract with Hospira to offer APIs for the generic injectable pharmaceuticals business it sold to the latter.
Almost 20 per cent of OCPL’s revenue for the last fiscal has come from supplies to Hospira. The company supplies cephalosporin and injectables APIs for penicillins and meropenem, a carbapenem antibiotic.
The company registered revenues of Rs 1,780 crore in the last financial year, said Ram.
