Natco, Lupin in alliance to market tablets for kidney ailments

Drug maker Natco Pharma on Thursday said it has entered into an agreement with domestic pharma company Lupin to jointly market a variety of tablets used in treating kidney problems.
“Natco Pharma has joined hands with Lupin to jointly commercialise generic equivalents of Lanthanum Carbonate tablets,” Natco said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Lanthanum Carbonate tablets, invented by Shrine Plc, are sold under the brand name of Fosrenol. Natco had filed an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) before the US drug regulator (Food and Drug Administration) to market the generic versions of Fosrenol in three different strengths. In response to the application, Shrine had filed two law suits against Natco alleging patent infringement for the drug, which Natco is defending. As of December 2008, global sales of Fosrenol amounted to $108 million. The two Indian drug makers (Natco and Lupin) believe that they are among the first to file for this product, which may lead to 180 days’ exclusivity for its marketing in the US. “This alliance brings together a strong philosophy of working together to maximise opportunities in an increasingly competitive generic business,” Natco Pharma director and chief operating officer Rajeev Nannapaneni said. Natco closed at Rs59.35, up 14.80%, while Lupin settled the day at Rs646.75, down 1.03% on BSE.

Lupin buys stake in Multicare Pharma - Philippines firm

Drug maker Lupin Ltd (LUPN.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) said it has acquired a 51 percent stake in Multicare Pharmaceuticals Philippines Inc, marking the Indian firm's foray into the $2.5 billion Philippines pharmaceuticals market. Financial details were not disclosed but Lupin said the purchase was funded through internal cash accruals. Multicare Pharmaceuticals, which sells branded generics drugs, reported revenue of about $6 million for the year ended December 2008, Lupin said in a statement late Thursday.
Earlier this month, Lupin's president-finance and planning, S Ramesh, had said the company continues to scout for acquisitions in Asia, eastern Europe, the Gulf region and Latin America.
Last year, Lupin's acquisitions included stakes in South Africa's Pharma Dynamics, Germany's Hormosan Pharma and Australia's Generic Health. (Reporting by Bharghavi Nagaraju; Editing by Ramya Venugopal)

Lupin acquires Rubamin Labs

Lupin, the country’s biggest maker of tuberculosis medicines, has bought Baroda-based Rubamin Laboratories (RLL), which will give it an entry into the global contract research and manufacturing services (CRAMS) business. The deal size was not disclosed.

Rubamin manufactures advanced intermediates and specialises in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in drug-making. The eight-year-old company has a wide customer base in Europe. It has a turnover of about $10 million.

RLL belonged to the Rubamin Group, whose main business is mining and metallurgy in India and Congo in Central Africa. RLL was hived into a separate company last year.
“The acquisition enables us to step up our strategic initiative in the CRAMS segment,” Lupin Chairman Desh Bandhu Gupta said. “We have a proven track record of achieving global position in every therapy that we have entered at the intermediate and API level.”

The global CRAMS market was estimated at $895 million in 2006 and growing at 43 per cent, according to business research and consulting company Frost & Sullivan.

(Source: Business Standard)