Albert David to set up unit with R&D facility

Sutapa Raha,Kolkata, 17^th January

Keeping the heady days of the post-TRIPS era and product patent regime in mind, drug manufacturers back home are slowly drawing up strategies for survival and good health.

A case in point is the decades old Kolkata-headquartered, Albert David Ltd, which is not only setting up a new manufacturing unit bundled with an R&D facility but is also eyeing licensing agreements with pharmaceutical companies abroad.

K.P. Mundra, Executive Editor of Albert David Ltd., told ET: "With more and more MNCs entering the pharmaceutical market in India, we need to have state-of-the-art technologies for production of quality products and thereby meet competition head-on. Our R&D facility will also have to be strengthened."

To begin with, Albert David is setting up a new factory in Kolkata with an investment of Rs 40 crore. The unit will club the company's R&D centre, for advanced research on formulations. Investment will be in phases and the project will be partly funded by the company's own earnings and partly by different FIs.

Speaking about the new project, Mr. Mundhra said: "We already manufacture a wide range of formulations, large volume parentals and medical disposables. Now the IV fluid market is very competitive and the market is only growing by 8-10 percent a year. Therefore, we would concentrate on the formulations market."

"This new facility would manufacture oral liquids, tablets, ointments and some bulk drugs. Our aim is to increase our present production and launch more and more new products every year. With a strong R&D we hope to do that," he added.