Ranbaxy Laboratories has announced that Dr Rajinder Kumar, head of R&D, had resigned due to personal circumstances. In due course, he will be invited to join Ranbaxy's R&D Advisory Council. He is becoming the second research chief to leave in a year after Rashmi Barbhaiya. Dr Kumar had joined Ranbaxy in July last from GlaxoSmithKline.

The company is no adopting new dual strategy of having robust R&D for both drug discovery and generics/NDDS/drug development. It has separated these two areas of R&D so that they can achieve heightened focus and rigor for success.

Dr Brian Tempest, CEO and MD, Ranbaxy, said, "We acknowledge the role that Dr Rajinder Kumar has played in institutionalizing the R&D regimen, and in particular the clinical processes at Ranbaxy. The company continues to be on a strong footing in this area. The new structure is designed to bring into sharper focus, the unique needs of drug discovery and generics research, while emphasizing both equally."

Dr Vijay Batra will lead the generics/NDDS/drug development research effort of the company. He will report to Dr Tempest. Dr Batra is credited with having progressed the development of the anti-malaria molecule, RBX 11160 to phase II clinical trials. He has also worked on the development of the Ranbaxy Atorvastatin product. Formerly with the Schering Plough Research Institute, USA, for over twelve years, Dr Batra has worked extensively in the area of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism. Dr Kasim Mookhtiar who is in Drug Discovery will also report to Dr Tempest.