Taking its in-licensing deals forward, the Group Pharmaceuticals Limited, a leading dental care company in the country, has inked partnership with NovaMin Technology, Inc., a US-based company focused on proprietary oral health active ingredients. The pact with NovoMin is to in-license a molecule for treatment of sensitive teeth. Group Pharma has already been associated with Fittydent in Austria for another in-licensing contract.
The strategy to in-license molecules from international majors will help Group Pharmaceuticals to offer products to Indian customers and also manufacture for other Indian companies, Sunil Attavar, managing director, Group Pharmaceuticals told Pharmabiz.
The product patent regime enforced in India from 2005 has seen several foreign pharma majors looking for a foothold in the Indian market with the objective to pursue in-licensing arrangements. Therefore, companies in the country go for in-licensing a promising therapeutic molecule from global majors as the fastest mode to upscale drug development efforts. Further, in-licensing helps Indian companies to make the most out of its field force strength besides expand its product portfolio, according to a section of pharma analysts.
The 27-year-old Group Pharmaceuticals which started operations in Mumbai has a plant at Tarapur dedicated to manufacture moisture sensitive tablets produced under strict humidity control. In 2003, it commissioned its second manufacturing facility at Malur off Bangalore constructed in compliance with WHO GMP guidelines. This unit produces oral and external gels, creams and liquids. The plant has a capacity of producing 800 million tones of toothpaste, external gels, creams and lotions per annum apart from 600 KL of mouthwash and external liquids.
Group Pharmaceuticals has a handful of pioneering efforts in India. It is the first company to introduce potassium nitrate for the treatment of sensitive teeth, manufacture-market denture cleansing tablets and also introduce desensitizing oral rinse therapy. Currently, the company has nine stock keeping units (SKUs) which include dental gels, de-sensitizers, whiteners and anesthetics in ointments and liquids. Around six new products are in the pipeline.
The Indian dental care market is valued at around Rs 165 crore and growing at 12 per cent with around 40 companies in this space. The leading companies in this arena include Warren Pharma, Dr, Reddy's, IPCA, Group Pharma, FDC, Micro, Nicholas Piramal and Mankind. Out of the Rs 165 crore dental market, sensitivity control drugs are estimated to be Rs 80 crore and the remaining constitutes drugs for infection control, local anesthetics, astringents and miscellaneous oral care hygiene products. "The sensitivity and infection control drugs hold lot of growth potential," stated the Group Pharmaceuticals chief.