With biotech players like Biocon, Avesthagen, Automed Systems, Biovel Life Sciences, Biozeen, Biovet Pvt. Ltd. and XCyton Diagnostics Ltd proving their mettle in the bio entrepreneurship, Karnataka is all set to emerge as a biotech powerhouse of India. All these players have evolved several strategies to survive and thrive and are looking to better their performances, making the best use of their core competencies.
On its part, Avesthagen, one of the leading knowledge-based life sciences companies in India, has succeeded in creating a convergence of food, pharma and population genetics in the life-science space through its business model of partnering with various - as many as 10 - top global majors. Now it is working towards achieving a predictive preventive personalized healthcare model through its four strategic business units biopharmaceuticals, bionutrition, bioagriculture and science and innovation.
The company employs 500 people worldwide and is headquartered in Bangalore. It has established a world class, state-of-the-art laboratory facility in Bangalore. The company has grown into one of India's leading healthcare technology groups in India and its activities include, in addition to its agri-biotechnologies product pipeline, development of clinically validated botanical bioactives derived from Indian medicinal plants, as well as the development of a pipeline of bio-similar drugs. It collaborates at every stage in the value chain with appropriate partners, both public and private, for access to and exchange of technology and overall commercial expertise.
Automed Systems, another Bangalore-based life science services company, is on expansion spree and has invested Rs. 6 crore to set up a state-of-the-art calibration centre and a corporate office as part of its Greenfield expansion. The construction, which commenced on March 26, is expected to be completed in November 2008. Plans are afoot to open a centre of excellence in microbiology in association with its partner AES Labs, France.
"The proposed centre of excellence in microbiology will be the first of its kind in the country showcasing emerging technologies, besides offering application support and testing. It will also operate as a finishing school for microbiologists," said, Bhanu Prakash, director, Automed Systems.
"India is now a manufacturing hub for global pharma companies and the need for dedicated centres of excellence in microbiology and calibration are indispensable. The new facility will now be an additional revenue stream for Automed," noted, Prakash.
When it comes to Biovel Life Sciences (P) Ltd, the company is planning to introduce a range of vaccines and therapeutic proteins in the domestic market by mid 2008. These are Polysaccharide vaccines for typhoid and Hib (Haemophilias Influenza-B) vaccine, a remedy for fatal brain infection in babies. The vaccines have been tested at Central Research Institute, Kasauli and approved for clinical studies.
"The company has an established procedure to conjugate PRP with the protein to convert B-cell dependent vaccine to T-cell dependent vaccine. This method increases the safety and applicability of vaccine. Biovel is also working towards conjugating Vi-polysaccharide with a protein to increase its applicability. The conversion of biosimilar polysaccharides into biosuperiors will help to increase immune response of the product and enable better and wider applications," said, Dr Durgaprasad Annavajjula, director, Technical, Biovel Life Sciences.
The Indian market size for typhoid vaccines is Rs 25 crore with GSK being a major player among others. The Hib market is valued at Rs 100crore, informed P. Sudhakera Naidu, chairman and managing director, Biovel.
The company is also working on a comprehensive, effective and affordable wound management system in collaboration with national and international institutes.
Biovel is aggressively pursuing its CRAMS project and is in discussions with a European major for a strategic alliance. The validation of its main production plant located at Hoskote in the outskirts of Bangalore is on. In the meanwhile several enquires for the contract manufacturing and fill finish work from both India and abroad have come in which would be finalized soon.
On the other hand, Biozeen, a total solutions provider for the biotechnology industry, is scouting for acquisition of small-medium companies in the design build solutions (DBS) space. In 2007, it proved its highest competence in the DBS segment. This has led Biozeen to close its annual revenues at Rs. 15 crore ending March 2008 with over 50 percent coming in from export markets.
There was considerable value-addition in terms of demanding projects in DBS. From 42 projects in 2007 to 118 assignments in the last 11 months, Biozeen is positive it will have 200 customers by the end of 2008.
In the DBS business, Biozeen manufactures customized and standard bioprocess equipment compliant to ASME-BPE, GAMP-4 and 21 CFR PART 11 at its state-of-the-art production facility on the 10-acre campus off Hennur in Bangalore.
"Charting the acquisition route will help the company strengthen its international operations and gain a foothold into readymade global client base. Acquisitions will help us broaden our base without having to compete in a stiff export market," stated Dr. Anil Paul Kariath, president, consulting & training, Biozeen.
Going by the company's core competence in conceptual design, project management, process evaluation and failure analysis, it was a deliberate decision to be in the DBSs space, he added.
In the last three years, the company has proved its capability as a single source suppler in bioprocess engineering. It now plans to grow fast through the acquisition route. The ability to acquire companies stems from an innate confidence that comes from our domain expertise and makes us a veritable techno investor, explained Dr Kariath.
The company specializes in the design and delivery of cGMP process technology. It offers turn key solutions across project lifecycles in process engineering and equipment design, support in procurement and validation of equipment-facility, besides assisting in commissioning and research process optimisation.
Right now Biozeen is consolidating its contract manufacture business. Over 80 percent new contracts are from exports. These include bioprocess equipment supplies, Cleaning-In-Place (CIP) and Sterilization-In-Place (SIP) systems designed for automatic cleaning and disinfecting. The company is known for its reliable and economical solutions, which save money through higher plant utilization, optimal use of resources and man hours for its customers. The CIP and SIP are critical components pharma, biotech, nutraceutical, food, dairy, beverage, cosmetic industries where hygienic and aseptic environment is vital.
XCyton Diagnostics Ltd., the medical diagnostic major has developed the DNA Chip for simultaneous identification of 15 different pathogens causing eye infections. Known as the 'XCyto-Screen', the kit is a landmark development in molecular diagnostics because it can identify infectious like Keratoconjunctivitis, Uveitis, Retinitis and endophthalmitis. The kit is a first-of-its-kind in the world to detect within six hours a variety of microorganisms capable of causing havoc to both the eyes.
According to Dr. BV Ravi Kumar, chairman and managing director, XCyton the multi-testing capability will ensure faster diagnosis and quicker access to treatment. In India alone there are 200,000 cases affected annually with visual impairments and blindness with infectious diseases. Globally one million people are affected by eye infections.
The research, which is a multi-institutional mission mode public private partnership project under the New Millennium Technology Initiative (NMITLI) by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), had a total grant of Rs. 3.5 crore. The company holds a CSIR patent for eye chip was developed in collaboration with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Shankar Netrayalaya, Chennai, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad and Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad. The period of research spanned four years.
Biovet Private Limited is an emerging biotech veterinary company engaged in the development of animal vaccines. The company has set up a world-class manufacturing facility at Malur in Kolar district off Bangalore at the Karnataka Industrail Area development Board (KIADB) for the development of animal vaccines.