The Himalaya Drug Company, the herbal healthcare, is getting ready to launch the new product for Hepatitis B next year. The company is currently doing clinical trials at 12 centres in the country and the product will be launched in the first half of 2005.

The company is also actively researching in the areas of critical diseases like cancer and AIDS apart from tropical diseases like malaria, where it is working towards introducing a new range of drugs expected to be launched from its pharmaceutical division next year. "However, it will take a while for us to complete the studies for which we are vigorously conducting studies for drugs in malaria, cancer, and AIDS," stated Dr. SK Mitra, executive director, research and technical services, The Himalaya Drug Company who was non-committal about the timeframe for completing research and getting the final products ready.

With the clearance by the Karnataka mega projects committee for its 200 acre of land at Bidadi in Ramanagaram taluk on the Bangalore Mysore Road, Himalaya Drug Company has slated a major investment of Rs 165crore for a manufacturing unit and a research and development centre for ayurvedic formulations.

The proposed production plant will be a state-of-the-art, international grade modern facility that deploys superior cutting-edge technology with prior approvals from International Regulatory bodies. The company is gearing up for construction in early 2005 on the 200 acres of land, stated Ravi Prasad, president& CEO, The Himalaya Drug Company.

In first phase of the new project, only production plant will be commissioned. The research facility will be slotted for the second phase of the project. The company's research and development wing is the foundation for all drug development. It is currently operating full-fledged at Makali, on the Tumkur Road in the outskirts of Banglalore which is its headquarters.

"Although the company does not have a fixed funding allocated towards research and development programmes, it strictly abides by its Research and Development policy which states that no investment is too much when it comes to scientifically creating safe drugs and therapies," stated Dr. Mitra. The company has around 70 scientists in the research and development wing.

The company is expected to touch a turnover of Rs 400 crore on March 2005. The exports that are on the upward trend forms 15 per cent of the revenues.