Ranbaxy allies with Ipca to tap US market

Delhi-based Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has entered into a strategic alliance with Ipca Laboratories to develop generic drugs for the US market.

It will roll out the first drug of this alliance, Furosemide, in the US. Ranbaxy has received the approval from US Food and Drug Administration for commercialising the drug, which clocks annual market sales of $70 million approximately in the US.

The active pharmaceutical ingredient and finished formulations for the drug "" indicated for the treatment of oedema "" would be manufactured by the Mumbai-based Ipca, while Ranbaxy will undertake its marketing in the US. The details of financial arrangement were not available.

Ranbaxy will file for regulatory approval and support manufacturing of these products, stated a Ranbaxy spokesperson. "This is the first drug coming out from the alliance, but it is not a one-drug agreement ... more products would follow," he added.

The tie-up is through Ranbaxy's wholly-owned subsidiary in the US, Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc, according to a statement by Ipca Labs. The 20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg dosages of Furosemide tablets have been found to be therapeutically equivalent to that of Aventis Pharmaceuticals' off-patent drug, Lasix.

Ipca will manufacture other products in its facilities in India, which would be subsequently commercialised by Ranbaxy in the US.