The Mumbai-based Cipla Ltd will file about 35 ANDAs and 12 DMFs for the US markets, in the next 12-15 months, Dr. Y.K. Hamied, chairman, Cipla informed here. The company's alliance partners in the US will file most of the ANDA's, he added. So far, the company has filed around 31 ANDAs.

The company has tied up with five generic companies including Watson, Ivax and Mylan for the marketing of the company's drugs in US.

Dr. Hamied was addressing the shareholders at the annual general meeting of the company held in Mumbai yesterday.

For the year ended March 2004, Cipla achieved net sales of Rs 2091 crore compared to Rs 1,599 crore, a year ago. The company's profit after tax stood at Rs 306.6 crore compared to Rs 247.7 crore, the year ago. Exports contribute to over 40 per cent of the company's sales.

Cipla is likely to begin exports of its chloro-fluro carbons (CFC) free inhalers within the next two months, said the company officials. One of the alliance partners of the product has received regulatory approval in Germany, said Dr. Hameid. The company's inhalers are based on ozone friendly HFA propellants.