Hoffman-La Roche outlines plans for India

Swiss pharma company Hoffmann-La Roche (HLR) plans to make India one of its larger sourcing hubs for active ingredients and bulk intermediates, according to Dr Kurt Kopp, head of global strategic procurement at Roche.

He added that the company intends to almost double its material procurement from India to Sfr5m.

A team from HLR was recently in India seeking suitable facilities and possible joint-venture partners. HLR recently completed a pilot project in partnership with an Indian company for the custom synthesis of an intermediate for a product currently under development.

'Roche is not, however, to source formulations from Indian manufacturers because of existing patent laws,' stressed Dr Kopp. 'We are very cautious about sourcing formulations and APIs for patent drugs. But we do source intermediates and APIs for drugs that are off patent.'

Roche Scientific (India), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Roche, plans to invest around Sfr10m in India. Part of this investment is to increase clinical trials in the country, as Roche is starting a global study for the treatment of aggressive Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. The company is also conducting a regional trial on the cancer drug interferon, called Pepsys, for which India is a centre.

In addition, it has an extended access programme, through which Roche will provide some patients with drugs that are currently not available in the Indian market. The company has already started offering an anticancer drug, Avastin, and plans to offer Valcyte - a drug to treat HIV patients, to selected patients in India.

'Roche is planning to introduce new therapies in the areas of dermatology and osteoporosis in India. Therapies like anticytomogolovirus, an infection associated with HIV and bone metastasis, are in the pipe line for India in the coming year,' Dr Kopp added.