The Hyderabad-based Hindustan Bio Sciences Ltd concluded an outsourcing agreement with Shen Yang Sunshine Pharmaceutical Company Ltd of China to contract manufacture Interferon Alfa 2A and Interleukin-2. The Chinese company will take up contract manufacturing at its facilities for Hindustan Bio, JVR Mohan Raju, managing director of the company told Pharmabiz.
Interferon Alfa 2A is a sterile protein product manufactured by recombinant DNA technologies and is indicated for 'chronic hepatitis C' and 'AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma'. The Indian market for Interferon's is estimated at Rs 50 crore and is expected to reach Rs 60 crore by 2007. Global market for Interferon accounts to over $ 5 billion.
Interleukin-2 is an immune modulator, which makes the infection-fighting cells multiply. It is approved for the treatment of some types of cancers. It helps in rebuilding the immune system and helps fight HIV. There is a potential market for interleukin-2 as there is a widespread incidence of AIDS in India, in addition to cancer.
Raju informed, the company is also in the process of conducting Phase III clinical trials for RH Erythropoietin and is expected to conclude the same by end of May 2005. The company has obtained ethical committee approval to carry out clinical trials in the Indian hospitals. The total market for Erythropoietin in India is estimated at Rs 280 crore and is expected to reach about Rs 400 crore by 2007.
It may be noted that Hindustan Bio has obtained Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) nod to import and market Recombinant Human Erythropoietin manufactured by Shandong Kexing Bioproducts Company Ltd, China.
He added, the company is talking to Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) of Hyderabad for a technical tie-up, once finalized, the institute will offer its expertise to Hindustan Bio in setting up a research and development centre at Hyderabad. The R & D centre, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2005, will work on various areas including anti-cancer products.
The company is aiming to achieve Rs 30 crore turnover in the financial year 2006-'07.