The Kerala State Homoeopathic Co-operative Pharmacy Ltd., (HOMCO), the only public sector homeopathic drug manufacturer in India, is being modernized by setting up a modern plant at its existing facility at Pathirappally in Kerala. At present, Homco has a capacity to manufacture Rs 1.5 crore worth drugs per annum, and with the expansion, production capacity will increase to medicines worth Rs 5 crore per annum.

The total modernisation project, which also includes a medicinal plant garden, is with an investment of about Rs 2.18 crore.

Civil works have been completed and the plant will take off by April, this year. Rs 1 crore was provided by the Department of AYUSH under the scheme for 'Strengthening Government pharmacies in States' for the year 2002-'03. The grant included Rs 35 lakhs for setting up a new building and Rs 65 lakhs for purchasing new equipments. The new facility at the Pathirappally headquarters has an advanced tableting section, mother tincture preparation plant, an additional storage tank with capacity to store 12,000 litres of spirit, and an advanced quality control unit, Dr. G Prasannachandran, managing director, Homco, told Pharmabiz.

At present, Homco has capacity to manufacture Rs 1.5 crore worth homeopathic drugs per annum, and with the expansion, capacity will increase to produce medicines worth Rs 5 crore per annum.

In addition, Homco is in the process of purchasing a 5-acre land at Mundakkayam near Kottayam to cultivate rare medicinal herbs used in homeopathic drug manufacturing, which involves 90 per cent plant-based products. Homco has identified about 30 plants for cultivation, and the State Government will give Rs 12 lakhs as financial assistance. Homco will invest another Rs 6 to 7 lakhs for cultivation, and the project has been submitted to the state and National Medicinal Plant Board (NMBP) for further assistance. In total, Rs 56 lakhs have been earmarked for research and development activities, including the medicinal plant farm, said the managing director.

At present, Homco is dependent on suppliers for buying raw materials. Quality and availability of raw materials have been a serious issue, very often leading to rejection of raw material supplies. Homco is also in discussion with the Department of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Kerala Agricultural University, for their expert assistance in raw material procurement, said Prasannachandran.

Homco, which supplies most of its products only to the public sector units at subsidized prices, had posted a turnover of over Rs 1.75 crore, last year, with a profit of about Rs 14 lakhs. It is the sole approved supplier of Homeopathic medicines to the Department of Homeopathy, Kerala, Department of ISM & H, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and CCRH institutions. Homco is also supplying Home Remedy Kits to the states of West Bengal, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Assam.

Started in 1978 as a joint venture of the homeopaths in the state and the government, Homco manufactures a variety of Mother Tinctures, dilutions, bio-chem medicines, triturations, external preparations and sundries. A five-member council appointed by the State Government, with the director of Homeopathy as chairman, joint secretary (Finance), joint secretary (H&W), Aalappuzha District Medical Officer and the managing director as members govern HOMCO.