The Mumbai-based Unimark Remedies Ltd has recently commissioned its new formulation division Zen Life Sciences at Andheri in Mumbai. The company is a strong contender in the API business and is now foraying into the formulation business.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, Mahesh Kaval, associate director, said, "Our new formulation unit Zen has chalked out its and plans to stay ahead in the oncology segment. Oncology will be our first target segment, which is followed by Nephrology, Neuro Psychiatry, Haematology and Anti-infective disease. Our focus will be more on innovative products such as recombinant products and monoclonal antibodies, novel drug delivery systems and anti sense technology products. We will also look at supportive products like anti anaemic products and painkillers in out endeavour to offering disease management".

The speciality formulation business will have marketing network throughout the country and is in the process of firming its business plans to cover the international markets too.

Unimark has its own two state-of-the-art US-FDA approved manufacturing facilities at Vapi and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Ahmedabad facility is dedicated for cephalosporins. The company's total sales revenue for the last financial year stood at Rs 464 crore, whereas its annual growth rate for the last five years is 24 per cent.

From the formulation business unit, the company is expecting Rs 40 crore turnover for the next three years. The company has invested US $5 million for the R&D activity. It has strong market presence in more than 65 countries worldwide. Currently, it employs around 625 people, among them more than 70 scientists work in R&D which will also support Zen Life Science through backward integration in developing and manufacturing APIs to gain competitive edge in the speciality formulation market.

Talking about tie up activity Mahesh Kaval said, "We are in the process of signing in-licence agreement with Japan, Korea and China. We also have strong product pipeline in carbapenems namely, imipenem, meropenem, panipenem, ertapenem and few advanced cephalosporins. Till now company has filed eight US DMFs and 10 European Union MFs. The company has also plans to enjoy tax holiday scheme at Sikkim but till now the plan for expansion at Sikkim is not structured".

Zen Life Science plans to be the fore-runners in the Speciality Formulations Segment in India