Indian Biotech Boom - Biocon, Shantha, Shamrock, Panacea, Zenotech Thinking Big

India could corner a big share of the global biotech industry because of its cost advantage in developing new products and conducting research, according to ICRA’s Biopharmaceutical Report.The global biotechnology market was estimated to be over $50 billion with US and Europe account for over 90 per cent of the market. A lot of bioinformatics and genome research work had already reached India, and this potential was set to boom with companies like Panacea, Shanta, Biocon, Shamrock, Zenotech planning new initiatives.

"We are planning to double the manpower to 4,000 from 2,000 at present. Within a very short period we increased the number of employees by 500 to reach 2000,” said Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairman and managing director of Biocon.

Shantha Biotechnics, engaged in the development of biotech healthcare products, announced the availability of a combination DTPH vaccine - Shantetra, the first indigenously developed and produced four-in-one vaccine. The vaccine protects children against four life-threatening infections — Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis and Hepatitis B.

Delhi-based Panacea Biotech has moved up the value chain as a research company and has lined up a set of vaccine candidates and at least three biopharmaceuticals.The company will start phase I clinical studies on its two biopharmaceuticals by 2007. In the vaccines segment, Panacea has around 22 candidates under development targeting either bacterial or viral infections and about 25 per cent of these are rDNA vaccines, the rest being conventional biotech products. Some of these products are obtained through partnership with academia such as the anthrax vaccine from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, and Japanese Encephalitis vaccine from National Institute of Immunology, Delhi.

Adopting a multi-pronged strategy of in-licensing and in-house research, Shamrock Industrial Co. is planning by 2006 a major launch of blockbuster biotech products like UDPG, Erythropoietin, Urokinase, Alpha Darbepoetin. It has facilities stratigically located at Taloja, Chennai and Baroda.

New Players Like Zenotech Labs in Hyderabad are also foraying into the Generic market for biopharmaceuticals.