The industrial activity is on fast track in Goa with positive government attitude and support. Currently there are over 7000 small scale industrial units with presence of more than 150 large and medium scale industries employing over half a million people. Besides mining and tourism sectors, the pharmaceutical segment has also established its presence in Goa and received approvals regulated bodies like US FDA, UK MHRA etc. Goa is strategically located with good infrastructure facilities with airport, a seaport, connectivity by road network and other amenities.
Well known Indian pharma companies like Ranbaxy, Cipla, Cadila, Lupin, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Unichem Lab, FDC, Indoco Remedies invested huge funds in setting up plants in Goa. Further, multinational companies like Aventis Pharma, Wyeth, and Merck also put up their plants. With better infrastructure facilities, the companies are expanding their operations.
Indoco Remedies Ltd
Indoco has got accreditations from the international regulatory authorities for its manufacturing facilities at Goa. US FDA has approved its plant II at Goa for its sterile ophthalmic manufacturing facility. Similarly, the tablet manufacturing facility of the plant I at Goa is approved by UK MHRA. The approval extends to the pilot facility in the new tablet area. With the approval of this pilot plant, Indoco will be in a position to conduct validation on batches for clinical trials/BE studies for products to be registered in Europe.
Suresh Kare, chairman of Indoco, said, "The company is going ahead strongly making investments in expansion. Our Goa units are handling company's complete export operation. Indoco is also undertaking contract research and manufactures services (CRAMs). The company is in the process of tying up with many MNCs".
Till now Indoco has invested total Rs 60 crore for the Goa plant, according to Sundeep Bambolkar, Director Finance & Operations. ``Our first Goa plant has commissioned in the year 1997 and second plant came after 5 years. We already got the US FDA approval for the ophthalmic product. Now we are installing new German machine for the ophthalmic product. This machine will be operational by the end of 2007. We are expecting 20-25 per cent growth rate for the per annum", he added.
Lupin Ltd.
Lupin Limited has their state-of-the-art plant at Verna, Goa. The company has commissioned its Goa plant in March 2004 with a total investment of Rs 250 million. The plant is dedicated for manufacturing non-cephalosporin oral finished dosages. The plant will conform to USFDA requirements. The state of the art facility at Goa is now being used to manufacture lisinopril tablets. Lupin's capabilities in sterile processing synthetic process development and fermentation skills, coupled with its intellectual property strengths places the company in a very strong position to offer a diverse portfolio of niche APIs to its customer.
Lupin has been a global leader in the supply of anti-TB APIs to all the pre-qualified suppliers of GDF over the last four years. During the first year ended 2006, it also integrated API strength and commenced supplying fixed dose combinations of APIs like ethambutol, rifampicin and pyrazinamide to Global Drug Facility (GDF) on a large scale.
Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd
Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), UK approved tablets manufacturing unit in Goa. Its Goa plant has commissioned in June 2005. The Goa facility houses a cream and ointment-manufacturing block, which is approved by ANVISA, Brazil. The tablet-manufacturing unit has a capacity to produce 720 million tablets per annum.
Unichem Laboratories Ltd.:
Unichem's Goa facility is not only focusing on world-class infrastructure but is also having its forays in research and development capabilities. The Pharma Technology Development Centre (PTDC) at Goa is now fully functional.
The focus is on development of generic formulations comprising immediate release as well as novel drug delivery systems and ANDAs exclusively for US market. The PTDC facility has a team of scientists to lead the research efforts and is a self-contained state-of-the-art product development laboratory meeting cGMP requirements which is fully equipped to conduct pre-formulation studies, prototypes development, scale-up and optimisation and technology transfer of oral solid dosage forms.
The developmental activities are supported by Analytical Research Development team which is equipped with sophisticated instruments for carrying out analytical method development such as assay methods, dissolution methods, discriminating methods, stability indicating methods and stability testing. The PTDC has capability of developing a platform technology whereby different molecules shall be processed for their controlled rate of release.
Cipla Ltd
Cipla Ltd, the second largest pharma company in India, with gross turnover of Rs 3100 crore plus, has set up its Goa plant in year 2002. And its is now planning to establish a large drug formulation manufacturing facility for various dosage forms at a Special Economic Zone in Goa.
The company has received two approvals from the WHO (World Health Organisation) and an UK regulatory body to export the products manufactured in the Goa facility. It is the fifth facility at Goa, to manufacture oncological products, both for the local and international market. '
Cipla's Verna plant manufactures low-cost anti-AIDS/HIV medicines, supplied along with other partners to over 52 countries directly and indirectly by the Clinton Foundation.
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals
Glenmark has commissioned its state-of-the-art plant at Goa in March 2004 that sprawls across 11.5 acres. The cumulative investment in the facility has been in the range of Rs 40-45 crore.
Built to comply with US FDA and EU standards, the plant is highly automated and has capacities for solid orals and external ointments. The company have a capacity of 1080 million tablets per year on a two-shift basis. A capacity of 134.4 million capsules per year on a two-shift basis. A capacity of 24 million tubes of ointments/creams per year on a two shift basis.
The company is already evaluating expansion opportunities at the site. It plans more filings in the current dosage forms and also to enter into new segments that require dedicated facilities due to restrictive regulatory requirements in the US and EU.
Sandu Pharmaceuticals
A relatively small pharmaceutical company mainly engaged in the manufacture of Ayurvedic medicines, has set up a plant in Pilerne Industrial Estate Goa. The company launched 4 new products during 2005-06 in the therapeutic indications for all kinds of chronic/arthritis/joint pains & paralysis, all types of diarrhoea & dysentery, for various allergic & infective skin diseases.
sanofi-aventis
The leading multinational pharmaceutical company in India sanofi-aventis also has a manufacturing facility at Goa. The company's Goa facility has exported 310 million tablets of Glibenclamide to European countries.
Cadila Healthcare Ltd.
Cadila Healthcare has strong presence in Goa with its facilities approved by WHO GMP, USA and MCC of South Africa.
Its formulation plant manufactures tablets (coated and uncoated), injectables and ointments to meet the requirements of the large domestic and international markets. The plant is accredited with a WHO-GMP certificate.
The production facilities of the Oncology Plant encompass an area of 1,300 sqmt. The plant has been designed with the assistance of ASTA Medica AG, Germany to meet the stringent requirements for the manufacture of cytostatic formulations. The plant has an annual capacity of 90 million tablets and 1.2 million vials of solid injectables.
Agiolax plant Goa was built in collaboration with Madaus AG Germany. EC FDA, Novartis, USA and MCC of South Africa apart from local FDA approve it. The plant has an installed capacity of 5500 tons per annum. The production of laxative formulation takes place in continuous and closed processing steps. The plant produces both coated and uncoated laxative granules.
Wyeth Ltd
The leading multinational pharma company also has their manufacturing facility at Goa. The company has continued to perform well in its core segment as oral contraceptives and anti-infectives.
Merck Ltd
The fastest growing leading multinational company has about 35 per cent of the turnover of the formulation is manufactured at the ultra modern facility of the company at Goa. It makes bulk drug, soft gelatine capsules and injectibles.