Bharat Biotech International Limited, the Hyderabad-based biotech company, has successfully developed 'Urokinase', the injectable medicine for cure of cardiac infection, for the first time in India.

The research on the product had been carried out indigeniously and the company is likely to launch the product in August,2000, it is learnt.

BBIL sources informed that the life saving medicine, branded 'Endurase' will be made available at a much lesser cost than the prevailing market rates of the imported medicine.

At present a single dose of 'Urokinase' imported by several Indian companies is priced around Rs 4,000. BBIL sources said that their focus would be to ensure that the medicine is affordable to the common man.

"The actual potential of the medicine is yet to be known due to its prohibitive costs. Presently, the medicine is available only in select urban pockets. Our intention is to make it available to every patient with acute heart problem" Dr Harshavardhan, advisor, BBIL said.

With the launch of Endurase, BBIL, known for the development of Revac-B, the recombinant vaccine for Hepatitis-B, will become a multi-product company.

Dr Harshavardhan said that the drug development does not show a shift from the company's commitment towards vaccine production. "We had always said that we are into vaccines and bio-pharmaceuticals. And Endurase is the first in the list of bio-pharmaceuticals. Other products are also in the pipeline." he explained.

The main raw material needed for the production of 'Urokinase' is human urine. Dr Harshavardhan said that the development of the product did not cost much as they had their own R&D facilities and production centres.