Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, India's largest pharmaceutical company, has unveiled an ambitious plan to enhance and accelerate its growth in drug research and development. The company is to double its R&D infrastructure and is to go for a major recruitment drive to induct fresh talents into its R&D set up. It is also to increase its R&D spend considerably in the coming years.
Briefing the company's plans at a press conference here on Tuesday, Dr Rashmi Barbhaiya said that the new Ranbaxy R&D model is based on four “E”s (envision, evaluate, engage and enable) which would define the need, create a picture of the future, build a sense of urgency, and create short term wins. With about 800 personnel engaged with the R&D programmes of the company, Ranbaxy expects to create a new paradigm for ANDA, introduce branded products through focused NDDS applications, drive discovery output by 2007 and enhance early discovery. Among its top seven priorities are its plans to leverage on alliance network, increase productivity and shorten development timeline through implementation of new processes, automation and efficient organisational structure and develop leaders at all levels.
The recent tie up with Medicines for Malaria Venture for developing anti-malarial drug was pointed out to be the first in the series of alliance networks planned by the company.
The company would continue to build on its success in the generic business and considers it as a short term low risk objective. While developing branded products through NDDS applications would be the medium term strategy, the long term objective is to discover and develop new chemical entities for unmet medical needs.
In the case of NDDR, the company has a well defined and differentiated strategy in place, Dr Barbhaiya said. The strategy for targets and diseases are finalized and the initial focus would be on precedented target (a target which has a proven clinical efficacy), he explained.
Commenting on the strengths of Ranbaxy, Dr Barbhaiya claimed that his company has the best R&D facility with talented and dedicated scientists. Well oiled ANDA machine, proprietary NDDS technologies to tackle different oral delivery problems, proven strength in chemistry and pharmaceutical development area, clinical development capabilities with availability of CPU and cost effective drug discovery and development were identified as the strengths which set Ranbaxy R&D apart from others.
Speaking on the occasion, Dame Bridget Oglive, chairperson, MMV highlighted the major objectives of the Ranbaxy-MMV joint initiative.