The antibiotics major Lupin has today announced its herbal business with the launch of nine prescription products in a range of therapeutic areas including diabetes, pediatrics, gastro intestinal, pain management and gynecology.

The new herbal brands launched by the company in these segments include GluDibit (diabetes), IQmem (memory), Pmensa (pre-menstrual syndrome), HerboHep (liver stimulant), and Ulsaton (antacid).

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Kamal Sharma, managing director, Lupin Limited said, “The company’s herbal products are a fusion of heritage and science. We have used the time-honoured principles of Ayurveda and married them tothe advanced techniques of modern science to arrive at these products.”

He added that initially the products would be marketed through the ethical route. “We will target the Over-the-Counter (OTC) segment and the export markets once we have consolidated our presence in the domestic ethical segment.”

Talking about the size of the herbal market, Ajey Kumar, vice president in charge (Herbal Business), Lupin, said that the global market for herbal products is estimated to be around $60 billion while the Indian market is in the range of Rs. 5,000 crore. Of this market, ethical products constitute approximately 50 per cent of the market.

“Herbals today have a growing international acceptance due to the fact that they have minimal side effects and offer a holistic healing approach. The global herbal market is growing significantly ahead of the allopathic market, with Germany and France accounting for almost 40 per cent of the total herbal products sold globally,” Ajey Kumar said.

Dr. Sharma said “World over we are witnessing a quest for discovery of new molecules especially from the herbal or phytochemistry route – India having a rich heritage in the area of Herbals is well placed to participate in this quest.”

The herbal market in India and abroad has gained importance in recent days and many leading Pharma players are eyeing this lucrative opportunity. Lupin intends to uniquely position its Herbal range by leveraging its state of the art R&D skills, ensuring higher standardization of ingredients and conducting proper clinical trials.