Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) fixed a limit of three brand names for a single drug formulation in case a manufacturer applies for multiple brand names. The decision is in the wake of mounting pressure from the pharma companies to grant multiple brand names for a single formulation.

Though the multiple brand names for single drug by same company was not allowed in Gujarat so far, the FDCA Commissioner S P Adeshara admits that he had to do it to protect the interest of the state as the manufacturers can secure the same from elsewhere in case the state denies it.

Adeshara said that the Administration will be granting multiple brand names only with certain conditions such as the credibility of the company in terms of marketing ethics, a self declaration by the manufacturer about the actual purpose and the existing brand names already registered by the company for the drug, cGMP/WHO standard compliance in the facility.

The practice of multiple branding has been in existence in other states but it is for the first time Gujarat FDCA is allowing this. Adeshara said that though the Drug control department was not approving the multiple brand names for a drug in the state, pharma companies within the state were enjoying this provision since long.

The new marketing trends in pharmaceutical industry like co-marketing, optimization of brand establishment by competition between individual divisions within the company and maximization of volume by offering discounts without losing margin etc are forcing pharmaceutical companies to go for multiple branding of the same drug. Of late, with several co-marketing deals between the pharma companies, the product sourcing partner has to license the product with the marketing partner, requiring a different brand name for the same drug.

Similarly, when the company wanted to promote a drug for two different applications, they normally resort to launch the product through two different marketing divisions within the company. Betnesole and Betnovate (betamethasone) of GSK, Cifran OD and Ciplox OD (ciprofloxacin once daily) of Ranbaxy and Trozet and Foliripe (letrozole) of Dabur are few such cases of multiple brandings. According to industry sources, almost all major pharma companies in India are having such brands at present.