What has been the growth for BDR pharma in the last one year?

BDR has seen exponential growth over the last one year. This is predominantly driven by the new infrastructure the company has created and second by the ability to pivot itself in critical segments which were the need of the hour.

How is your API business doing and how much has it grown in the last year? What’s the potential? We often hear of China plus one. Have you benefited from that change?

BDR’s overall API and Formulation business have grown in tandem, as we have a strong focus on backward integration due to which growth of one automatically benefits the other. Furthermore, BDR has also focused on strategic alliances globally wherein we form partnerships and have a strong tech transfer model wherein we focus on providing local solutions with exclusive supply arrangements.

Could you throw some light on your oncology portfolio and what can we expect in the coming years in terms of new drugs?

At BDR we have a pipeline of over 30 molecules to be launched in this space in the next 3-5 years. Furthermore, we have also added focus on incremental innovation wherein in this segment we are trying to make conventional products, more targeted and less toxic giving new light to the molecules which are currently recognized as the gold standard of oncology treatment. Besides, we also have as on date one of the richest oncology portfolios, which provides a solution not only for mass treatment but also on orphan drugs which are niche and normally ignored due to the limited market size. Our most important matrix for selection is first therapeutic segment treatment versus the traditional IMS approach.

R&D is a critical element in the pharma story. What has been your success on that front?

Research & Development is one of the most critical areas in any pharmaceutical company. In India, there are few companies that really focus on the same and try to strive for innovation. At BDR, we put a lot of emphasis on R&D on both incremental and radical innovation. We not only target new products, which bring a huge benefit by bringing 1st generic versions of complex products at affordable prices but also on incremental innovation, wherein we target to modify or enhance the current products to make them more patient-friendly or improve efficacy. Also, as India’s medical structure demands a significant out-of-pocket expense from patients, we always keep in mind the end commercials of the products to improve accessibility across the spectrum. However, we are still a long way as a country from programs that incentivise and promote New Drug Development, which you see in developed countries, as this requires a lot of resources, both in terms of infrastructure and economics which involves working with the public and private sector. We at BDR, have created state-of-the-art facilities for both formulation and API R &D, which helps the company to have a holistic development approach wherein we are backward integrated and have less reliance on external factors. This essentially allows us to not only gain speed for new product development but also maintain economics which could help enhance the reach of the molecule in the marketplace.

Are you looking at any new markets to grow your portfolio in formulations?

BDR is looking to enter the regulated market space especially now that it has its own infrastructure which is qualifiable by any drug authority globally. This segment was not a focus area till now, but with the promising pipeline and in-house infrastructure, this will become a new focus area.

What are your plans for the coming year in India?

The company is focusing on bringing newer DCGI molecules which will add further flavor to treatment options for doctors. With that, the company is looking to expand its own branded formulation business in niche segments.

What should the government do to encourage more R&D in pharma in India?

The government should focus on more R&D incentives and programs such as the DSIR, which was there before. It should also enhance its own universities and medical institutes to promote research and encourage public-private partnerships that would boost new product development.

Role of BDR in filling the gap of manufacturing quality cancer drugs and business strategy to making it accessible across the country?

Oncology as a segment has grown immensely in the past decade. The reason for the same is twofold, one being lifestyle wherein the use of plastics, pesticides, and increase in the number of smokers, etc., have grown which causes cancer. The second is the development in diagnostic infrastructure and education around the cause which leads to early detection. The growing incidence of cancer has also led to huge demand, creating a need for cancer drugs in India that was never there before. Therefore, there has been an entry of several players over the last few years who are focusing on formulation of the same. Having said that, at BDR we are not only focusing on creating state-of-the-art formulation infrastructure which is dedicated to oncology products but also one of the largest dedicated API units for the same. This would provide for enough capacity to produce almost 60 to 70 percent of oncology products’ raw materials and further formulate the same into complex injectable, OSD (tabs and caps).  With the next decade of multiple patent expirations of these cancer molecules, we believe India is poised to become a leader of global cancer drug manufacturing allowing us to partake in a very demanding journey. The manufacturing of these drugs requires a lot of experience and expertise because the units must provide a secure environment for all its workers, given the cytotoxic nature of these products. Therefore, companies are also cognisant of this fact as this manufacturing cycle requires a lot of investment and focus on safety.