The Rs 314 crore J B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals would be foraying into the anti-diabetic segment by launching a slew of products within a month, according to senior officials from the company. The company hopes to increase its growth from all new products to 7 per cent for the financial year 2004-'05 from 5 per cent in 2003-'04.

The products which are to be launched in the anti-diabetic class include metformin extended release (ER) available in 500 mg and 100 mg dosage forms; glimepiride palatised capsules in 1mg and 2 mg dosage forms; combination of glimepiride (1 mg) + metformin ER (500 mg) and combination of glimepiride (2mg) + metformin ER (500mg).

Shirish B Mody, director of JBCPL said that these products would be unique for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is for the first time that a palatised technology has been tried for drugs in the anti-diabetic class and secondly the tablets from the combination class have been divided into multi-layers
for better absorption into the system.

Although the company does not expect huge returns from these products, at least Rs 1.5 to 2 crore turnover would be possible from the new anti-diabetic class for the financial year 2004-'05.

In the last fiscal, the company had introduced several new products including Motiza (GI prokinetic agent), Cefjoy (antibacterial), Moviz (NSAID) and multi-vitamin/multi-mineral product (anti-oxidant class) that bought an estimated Rs 21 crore (5 per cent) turnover for the company.

A few products in cardiovascular segments are also expected to be launched in the forthcoming months, company sources said.