Sweet pill

Mumbai, Aug. 6: Torrent Pharma has joined hands with Novo Nordisk of Denmark to set up a dedicated formulation and packaging facility for insulin.

The state-of-the-art facility will be set up at Torrent Pharma's existing unit at Indrad, Gujarat. The plant is designed to meet the increased demand for insulin in the country.

Torrent Pharma, however, refused to divulge the investment figure or the facility’s capacity and whether Novo Nordisk would invest in the unit. The company is involved in contract manufacturing for Novo Nordisk. It has been manufacturing and supplying insulin formulations to Novo Nordisk for over a decade now. The plant also manufactures bulk drugs.

“As the demand for insulin is now increasing, we have decided to set up an exclusive facility to harness this potential,” he added.

Novo Nordisk India, along with Torrent, was one of the first companies in the country to initiate formulation of human insulin products in India in 1990. This was to ensure continuous supply and affordable therapy for the domestic population.

“We have had a wonderful partnership with Novo Nordisk since the late 1980s. Our new alliance is only a sign of the mutual trust and respect that we have for each other. Our partnership has strengthened with this alliance by facilitating new investments towards higher state-of-the-art capacity, providing for international quality insulin at affordable prices to Indian patients,” Torrent Pharma managing director Samir Mehta said.

Torrent expects that with increasing awareness, diabetes care in India will improve and more people will use insulin when needed. Early use of insulin can help prevent or delay late diabetic complications like blindness, kidney failure and heart attacks.

“The agreement will help to supply international quality insulin to millions with diabetes in India,” Jesper Holland, senior vice-president of Novo Nordisk, said.

Torrent recently announced the acquisition of German generic unit of Pfizer Inc, Heumann Pharma GmbH & Co Generica KG, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will result in Torrent’s consolidated global sales reaching Rs 1,000 crore from Rs 566 crore. It will also lead to an enhanced share of international business in the company's revenue pie.

The Ahmedabad-based company has five discovery projects in pipeline, two in diabetes and related complications and one in cerebro-vascular and two in obesity.