Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has received approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia (TGA) for its facilities for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Formulations in Chennai. A release from the company said that an assessment team from the TGA had visited the facilities of Orchid located at Alathur (near Chennai) early this year and the formal approval certifying the facilities has been received. The TGA is part of the Australian Department of Health and Ageing.

This approval enables the marketing of Orchid's range of cephalosporin bulk drugs (sterile & non-sterile) and non-cephalosporin formulations in the markets of Australia and New Zealand.

Orchid has been increasing its focus on penetrating the high-growth regulated markets and this development will add further thrust to this initiative. This approval also signifies the quality compliant systems and processes that Orchid has put into place.

"This is one more milestone in our overall regulatory roadmap. This approval will enable our entry into the developed markets of Australia and New Zealand. We expect good revenues from our focus on the regulated markets during this fiscal", said K Raghavendra Rao, Managing Director, Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.