Biocon hiring 300 scientists for new R&D complex in India

Posted under Biocon, Biologics, Blog, Companies, Diagnostics, Emerging Markets, Funding, india, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Kurt Wuthrich, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Pharmaceuticals, R&D, Startups, Universities, Videos by john

India's Biocon cut the ribbon on a new biologics R&D complex that will host a multi-disciplinary group of more than 300 scientists developing a new generation of "affordable" biologics. Nobel Laureate Kurt Wuthrich will helm the center, which is billed as the first of its kind in southeast Asia.

Biocon, which has experienced its own setbacks in drug development, has set its sights on expanding its work on novel therapies. Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (photo), who built the company from scratch, has championed the country's drug development community. And she's been hiring an international group of investigators expert in molecular biology, biologics process sciences, formulation research and preclinical and clinical development. 

"I am enthralled with Biocon's research capabilities which are at par with international standards. I will keenly watch the outcome of innovation from this centre as I see a lot of promise in scientific talent here," said Wuthrich in a statement.

"We aspire to build a center of research excellence that will pursue an innovation-led effort to develop advanced yet affordable solutions for several debilitating diseases," says Mazumdar-Shaw. "It will epitomize Biocon's efforts to galvanize the best talent available both in India and from across the globe, and offer them an intellectually stimulating environment combined with an enabling ecosystem to conduct pathbreaking research for biopharmaceuticals."

- here's the press release

Special Report: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw - The 25 most influential people in biopharma today

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Pfizer walks away from $350M insulin pact with India’s Biocon

Posted under Biocon, Blog, Companies, Diagnostics, Funding, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Pfizer, Pharmaceuticals, Startups, Universities, Videos by John Carroll

In a move widely viewed as a bad blow to India's biggest biotech, Pfizer ($PFE) has written off its $200 million upfront payment to India's Biocon ($BIOCON)--right along with all the licensing rights involved in their biosimilar insulin development deal.

The deal termination, which Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw characterized in Tweets as both amicable and the result of changing strategies, leaves Biocon without a major player to help break into the U.S. and European markets. And it leaves Pfizer still casting about for an effective strategy to confront dominant diabetes drug developers at Eli Lilly ($LLY), Novo Nordisk ($NVO) and Sanofi ($SNY).  

"Pfizer may have seen difficulties in selling insulin in US and Europe given dominance of three players. If even the world's biggest pharma player doesn't want to do it, then surely for Biocon penetrating those markets will be a big headache," Hitesh Mahida, an analyst at Fortune Equity Brokers, tells MoneyControl.com. Biocon's shares dropped 8% on the news.

In the fall of 2010 Pfizer and Biocon captured worldwide headlines with their partnership to develop insulin biosimilars. In addition to its down payment of $200 million, Pfizer also agreed to fork over $150 million in milestones and a stream of royalties from new products.

Mazumdar-Shaw, who built Biocon into India's biggest biotech and developed grand plans for the global diabetes market, showed no sign today of backing down from her plan. "Biocon will continue to work with its existing partners in several markets and will pursue a commercial strategy on its own and through new alliances in other markets." said Mazumdar-Shaw in a statement.

"Pfizer continues to be dedicated to developing a broad portfolio of biosimilars medicines, including monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins products, both internally and through collaborations" said Diem Nguyen, Pfizer's general manager for biosimilars. "In addition, we will continue to be active in our own research and business development efforts for diabetes, which represents a huge unmet medical need, and we remain committed to seeking new solutions to help physicians and patients."

There are broader implications for the entire Indian biopharma market. Despite its reputation for top scientific talent and low-cost R&D, India has been hampered by its reputation for playing fast and loose with intellectual property rights. On Monday that rep was underscored by a patent office decision granting Natco the right to make and sell Nexavar, a blockbuster cancer drug controlled by Bayer. The Indian ruling cited Nexavar's high price tag as the reason for the decision to open the market to a generic competitor. With India's highest profile pharma partnership now on the rocks, the emerging market's ability to work on a collaborative basis with global pharma remains questionable.

- get the press release
- here's the Reuters story
- read the report from MoneyControl.com

Special Report: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw - The 25 most influential people in biopharma today

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Pfizer amps up R&D partnering activity in China and India

Posted under Asia, Biocon, Blog, China, Companies, Diagnostics, Funding, Generics, india, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Pfizer, Pharmaceuticals, Startups, Universities, Videos by John Carroll

A day after Pfizer ($PFE) inked a deal with a joint venture partner in China to develop new generic drugs, the pharma giant is spreading the word that it's in the hunt for local drug development partners in the fast-growing Asian marketplace.

Dr. Richard Cornell, Pfizer’s Asian R&D exec, said the Big Pharma outfit is actively exploring more tie-ups with Indian biotechs. "Oncology is where there is a massive medical need and there is a significant breakthrough in science," Cornell said, as quoted by the The Economic Times. "Indian companies are very strong in bio-chemistry and so we are looking for partners here."

Pfizer announced Monday it will work with Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical, investing $250 million in a branded generics venture which will be 51% owned by the Chinese partner. Barclay’s Jason Mann gave his nod to the tie-up, noting Zhejiang Hisun is a big manufacturer of active ingredients in China, giving Pfizer an edge in advancing new products acceptable to Chinese regulatory authorities.

"We are exploring business development opportunities, including partnerships with local companies that allow us to successfully expand into the generics segment of the market," a Pfizer spokesman told Reuters.

Pfizer’s made it clear for some time it sees a big future for itself in Asia’s emerging markets. More than a year ago the pharma company tied up with India’s Biocon on a deal to develop insulin generics. Pfizer paid Biocon $200 million upfront for the opportunity to pair up with the Indian company.

- read the press release on the Asian JV
- get the story from The Economic Times on oncology pacts
- and here's the Reuters story

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Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw – The 25 most influential people in biopharma today

Posted under Biocon, Blog, Companies, Diagnostics, Funding, india, insulin, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Medical Devices, Medical Supply, Pharmaceuticals, Startups, Universities, Videos, Women in Biotech by John Carroll

Perfecting the hybrid R&D model

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Chairman and founder
Biocon

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is a powerhouse in India. While many life sciences businesses in the subcontinent have struggled to develop a winning formula, she was out striking a rich development deal on biosimilar insulin products with Pfizer. And starting out with nothing, she's forged a drug development arm that could well prove that the country's acknowledged scientific skills can translate into a thriving development industry.

Oddly enough, Mazumdar-Shaw started off in the beer business, learning a considerable amount about enzyme activity that would later bring her fortune with an industrial enzymes manufacturing business. But her most recent breakthroughs have been built on a deep understanding of the ways in which India can play a big role in the multinational pharma game.

"I really believe this is an interesting hybrid model for drug innovation," Mazumdar-Shaw recently told FierceBiotech, taking the "low-cost base in India and marrying it with the discovery skills in the U.S. and seeing if you can reduce the cost and time for drug development. We do what we do best in India and they do what they do best in the U.S."

With a 20% annual growth rate, Mazumdar-Shaw has proven that the subcontinent can create a go-go life sciences outfit with broad international connections. Her vitality has inspired a whole generation of Indians, men and women, meaning that there is tremendous potential to be tapped. The success of the industry and Mazumdar-Shaw are closely entwined.