JB Pharma to invest Rs 40 cr in Pune R&D unit

By siliconindia   |   Monday, 04 August 2003, 19:30 IST
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AHMEDABAD: JB Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals Limited is investing Rs 40 crore in setting up a new dedicated research and development facility in Pune. The R&D facility is being put up with the intention of facing challenges of the post patent era and exploit the generic opportunities that exist in the regulated markets like US, UK, Europe, Latin America and Canada, Sirish Modi, whole-time director (marketing) JB Pharma, told a leading newspaper in India. The funding for the investment will come from internal accruals, Modi said adding that the project will be taken up in three phases over a period of the next three years with the land acquisition taking place this fiscal and the construction commencing in 2004-05. The facility, which is in addition to the existing smaller R&D set-up that the company has at Thane, will be spread over 10 acres of land and will house 80 scientists including 40 senior level ones. It will be headed by a whole time director (R&D), with Rajan Shah being appointed to the post on August 1, 2003. The new R&D facility will focus on pharmaceutical formulations, novel drug delivery systems (NDDS), synthetic chemistry, analytical development, contract research, international regulatory affairs including filing of new drug applications (NDAs) and abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs), new drug discovery research (NDDR) and natural products, Modi explained. JB Pharma already has a presence in the US and Canadian markets through strategic alliances. While the in the US it has a joint venture Neo JB LLC with Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, in which JB Pharma holds 20 per cent equity, it has recently tied-up with Arrow group of Canada to make an entry into the Canadian markets.