Where has BDR focused its growth over the past few years?

BDR is focused on delivering quality generics at an affordable price to the Indian as well as emerging markets. We have invested approximately US$70 million into building a new facility spread across 60,000 square meters that includes an injectable facility, oral solid dosage facility and state of the art R & D center, which has obtained European approval. We are also now venturing into the Biosimilars segments with monoclonal antibodies and will deploy close to US$100 million into this space over the next five years. Over the past year, BDR has grown almost by 100%. The private equity firm Multiples Alternate Asset Management picked up a 9.3% stake in the company for INR 685 crore. These funds will be used to build additional R&D capabilities, invest in manufacturing capacity expansion, and enhance the degree of vertical integration.

Can you share highlights of products BDR has commercialized recently?

BDR played an important role in response to Covid-19 by responding quickly to the increased demand for drugs used for treatment, as we were already manufacturing the antiviral medication for the treatment of Ebola. We also manufactured Favipiravir and have partnered with Mankind Pharma to manufacture Molnupiravir and Eli Lilly for Baricitinib, as well as Liposomal Amphotericin B Injection for Black Fungus.

We continue to bring innovative products in the oncology and critical care segments to the market. BDR recently announced the launch of a first in India generic, Furmecil; an oral drug for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer, and S-1 will soon be available in the Indian market. We were also successful in launching the prostate cancer treatment drug Enzalutamide in a convenient dose of 160 mg strength, meaning patients had to consume many tablets per day. We have also realized that there is a lot of resistance cases to existing antibiotics, and we became the first to identify, develop, conduct clinical studies, and get DCGI (Drug Controller General of India) approval for Biapenem, which can treat a broad spectrum of infections.

We have also developed Sugammadex, a pioneer in anesthesia drugs in the Indian market, offering safe, rapid, and complete reversal of neuromuscular block, resulting in the removal of anesthesia effects on the body.

What work is BDR doing to amplify its API-related activities?

We are in the process of a US$50 million expansion, and expect to have our new world class facility where we will start manufacturing some complex molecules in operation by Q1 2023. Our idea is that over the course of 2023, we will create a technical hub in India, where we will have a world class R&D center of over 6,500 square meters for formulation development. We are also setting up another R&D facility of almost 100,000 square meters, which will focus on synthetic chemistry and peptide chemistry.

What is your assessment of India's regulatory ecosystem for the life sciences sector?

Our regulators have done a great job, particularly during Covid-19, to control and support the life sciences sector. As an industry, we need continuous implementation of regulations to ensure we work towards a point when all companies comply with international standards. There is a strong degree of collaboration and respect between regulators and life sciences companies, which is testament to where the country is heading.

Can you share your plans for BDR’s geographic expansion?

We have made a strategic investment in setting up a manufacturing unit in Algeria, which will be taking care of French speaking African countries. We are also entering Europe and will set up a manufacturing unit in Hungary, focused on complex injectables and oncological molecules. Strategically, our next move is entering the US, where we plan to build a manufacturing plant in 2024/2025. We are working on complex injectables and have partnered with some of the largest players in the US for this development project. Today, we have three filings for processing to enter the market in 2023. We have also entered the Canadian market and are very close to closing a deal to acquire a finished dosage facility in Australia.