VINS Bioproducts, the Hyderabad-based anti serum products manufacturing and marketing company, is all set to make its new cGMP/FDA compliant production facility operational by March this year. The facility is located at Thimmapur in Mahabubnanagar district, which is 8-kms from the upcoming international airport at Shamshabad in the state.

"The facility is going to be the largest in the anti sera segment and will commence operation from March this year and the US FDA is expected by 2009. This is being set up to augment the contract manufacturing of anti sera as well as other injectibles for multinational clients and also increase the existing anti sera products," VINS Bioproducts chairman S.N. Daga told Pharmabiz.

The facility is developed at an estimated cost of Rs.30 crore on a 10-acre land in Thimmapur. Total capacity of the unit will be 3 million anti serum vials, annually. The company is planning to hire nearly 125 people to carry out various operations at the unit.

"We are already present in SAARC nations and the new development will help us expand our base in Africa, Canada, Middle East and CIS countries. And once we get FDA approval, we will be probably into regulated markets such as the US and Europe," Daga said.

The company has signed Memorandum of Understating (MoUs) with some of the well-known multinationals. Under the agreement, VINS will manufacture the products for these companies and the MNCs will market the product under their own brand name.

"We will also be establishing a research and development centre at Thimmapur to find molecules and to conduct region specific studies and restructuring our Erdanoor (in Medak district) manufacturing facility", he disclosed further.

The research and development center is expected to be ready by August this year. The restructuring is being done considering the overseas companies seeking the manufacturing facilities for outsourcing anti-cancer products, he added.

As of now, research is being conducted at its existing facility and some specific research is being conducted in the US. During the 2006-07, the company recorded a production of 8,00,000 vials against the figure of 4,60,000 vials in 2005-06. "VINS has recorded a year on year growth rate of 60-65 per cent and we are looking at 75 CAGR over next couple of years," he said.

VINS presently has two facilities in Hyderabad and are backed by well-equipped modern equine farms (also at Thimmapur) housing 640 equines with independent serum manufacturing facilities. The company has developed several sera products like anti snake venom serum, anti rabies serum, tetanus anti toxin, diphtheria anti toxin, anti scorpion, etc for domestic and international markets. It has also taken up the manufacture of high value anti cancer products. The products are marketed by public sector undertakings in the country and are of high importance in rural areas.

The company is planning to spend nearly Rs.25-30 crore in next couple of years to strengthen its activity. It is also looking ahead to venture into biotech segment in Dubai by next year, for which it has entered into a tie-up with DuBiotech (Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park).