Zydus Cadila eyes south America, CIS

Fiscal 2003-04 marked a year of global initiatives for the Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila Healthcare Ltd as the company formed subsidiaries in the United States and Europe to tap the generics markets there.

In addition, it has also drawn up plans to enter the Brazilian and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets in the near future.

In January this year, Zydus Cadila Healthcare made a foray into the US generics formulations business with the launch of Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.

Focusing on generics formulations business, the new company will supply finished dosage formulations to the US generics market.

A company official said plans have been drawn to enter the Brazilian markets as well as the CIS market in the near future.

Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc will be headed by Joseph Renner as the chief executive officer of the company.

Renner was earlier the chief operating officer of Sandoz, USA, previously Geneva Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for the business operations during the period when there was an impressive growth in the company's generics business.

In addition to the US initiative, the group has already started operations in Europe. Zydus Cadila has a ready base in France with the recent acquisition of Alpharma France. Company officials said on Thursday entry into the German, Spanish and Italian markets are in the offing.

The company has also entered into in-licensing agreements with global pharma majors like Schering AG and Boehringer Ingelheim, making these companies the preferred partner for marketing their innovator products in India.

As a first step in its plan to establish operations in the US pharmaceutical market, Zydus Cadila had earlier set up Zydus Healthcare LCC, a US-based company focusing on sales of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

This company was set up in 2002. This development was in line with initiatives that the group had undertaken to position itself as a global pharmaceuticals provider.

After firming its entry into the US and European markets with the formation of Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc and Zydus France SAS, the group has also emerged as the largest Indian group in formulation sales to Sri Lanka and is among the top five Indian companies in Myanmar, Uganda, Vietnam, Mauritius and Singapore.