Dr Reddy's Laboratories has signed a 15-year exclusive product development and marketing agreement with Leiner Health Products, the largest private label vitamin and Over-the-Counter (OTC) products manufacturers in the US. The agreement is exclusively for Dr Reddy's OTC products.

According to a statement from Dr Reddy's, the key elements of the agreement include an exclusive marketing partnership with Leiner to distribute OTC products, a comprehensive Rx-to OTC product pipeline, development of innovative private label OTC products and establishment of an executive steering committee to manage product development.

The statement also said that G V Prasad, Vice-Chairman and CEO of DRL, would join the Board of Directors of Leiner Health Products on March 27, 2003.

"The partnership combines Dr Reddy's scientific and technical expertise in pharmaceutical product development with Leiner's trusted leadership in private label sales, marketing and distribution in the US market. We chose Leiner to help us expand our OTC business as a complement to our growing generics business in the US because of its dedication to private label sales and expertise in bringing self-care solutions to market quickly and efficiently," said Mark Hartman, Executive Vice-President, Generics Business, Dr Reddy's Labs, who is based in the US.

On behalf of Leiner Health Products, its President, Gale Bensussen, said the strategic partnership had the potential to create enormous value for its retail partners and accelerate its growth as a leading supplier of OTC products.

Leiner Health Products, with its headquarters in Carson, California, provides the nation's leading retailers with more than 3,000 private label products.