Trigenesis Lifesciences has entered into a joint venture alliance with Controlled Therapeutics Ltd., Scotland to market for the first time in India, 'Cervidil' a safe and simple drug for cervical ripening for women in labour. The new product is expected to enter India in early March 2006. It will now strengthen the company's offering in the women's health segment, which has Bescal (calcium supplement) and Sesil (anti bacterial).

Trigenesis has invested around Rs. 50 lakh for the product entry to set up the refrigeration and cold storage facilities at its offices in Bangalore, Kochi, Hyderabad and Chennai. This is because Cervidil must be stored between 20 deg C to 10 deg C temperature conditions. The company is also conducting a comprehensive continuing medical education (CME) programme to highlight the importance of the novel drug delivery device to obstetrics and gynaecologists between Feb 7 to 11 at Bangalore, Kochi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Steve Robertson, strategic project director, Controlled Therapeutics, will conduct the CME.

Cervidil, which is a 10mg dinoprostone vaginal insert eases the process of normal delivery. The US FDA approved safe drug for cervical ripening has a hydrogel insert, which helps in the release of the drug and in case of side effects can be retrieved easily. Right now ointments are used for the procedure.

Globally, on an average 10 per cent of deliveries are Caesarean section procedures. Since the Cervidil is expected to ease child birth, it is targeted at the obstetricians and gynaecologists in the country to bring down the number of C-Sections, TK Sudhir, director, Trigenesis Lifesciences told Pharmabiz.

Controlled Therapeutics holds a 65 per cent market share for Cervidil in the international market because of the efficacy, safety and simple to administer features. The cost of the product for the Indian market is still being worked out.

For marketing, the product the company has identified 20 managers out of its staff strength of 137 from the sales team.

The June 2005 incepted Bangalore-based company has a 37 products in the areas of osteoporosis, diabetes, anti infectives, pain management and women's health. Among the flagship products include Bescal (osteoporosis) and TriFenac-S (pain killer). All products are marketed in southern states. Plans for 2006-07 include entry into Chattisgarh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Efforts are also on to export its range of drugs to Philippines.