Biocon is making headway in its product pipeline. The company's oral insulin candidate (IN105) is expected to enter phase II trials in 2007 and may hit Indian market by 2009. The company is also working on an intra-nasal insulin where in it is developing a nasal delivery system. It is developing basal insulin and has established collaboration with Mayo Clinic for this purpose. Research is also in progress to develop various cancer vaccines. The phase II trials on an oncology candidate (BVX) will begin in next two months, Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CMD, Biocon, said.
Non-invasive insulins such as inhaled and oral insulins are emerging as potential growth drivers of the insulin segment. The oral insulin segment has an estimated potential of $ 1-3 billion market, she informed.
Biocon's new product pipeline includes therapeutic bio-molecules ranging from small molecules (statins, immuno-suppressants) to recombinant proteins (human insulin and monoclonal antibodies) derived from microbial and mammalian cell culture based fermentation technologies.
Biocon recently launched BIOMAb-EGFR, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody-based drug for treating solid tumours of epithelial origin, such as head and neck cancers. This novel drug is engineered to specifically target and block the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) responsible for the proliferation of cancer cells. The present global market size of monoclonal antibodies is estimated at $15 billion, and is expected to double by 2010, she added.
The therapeutic advantage may be extended further to pancreatic, colorectal, lung, breast and brain cancers. Biocon also claims to have established the country's first antibody facility.
Diabetes and Oncology are increasingly emerging as two important areas for disease research. India's 32 million diabetics, account for one-fourth of the global diabetic population. These numbers are estimated to grow to 57.2 million by year 2025. Further it is estimated that globally about 9 million new cancer cases are diagnosed every year of which over half are fatal. In India, there are an estimated 700,000 new cancer patients every year and half of them do not survive.
The company has developed an integrated approach with Syngene focusing on discovery research, Clinigene carrying out clinical development, while Biocon commercialized products. It has been conducting research in cardiology, diabetes and oncology segments.
Biocon is transitioning from generics to innovation led business. The company has achieved strides in the enzymes front. It has created intellectual property and know-how to look at patent landscape, which has further placed the company among the global leaders in the enzymes segment.