Biological E plans to ramp up non-vax business

Hyderabad-based biologics firm Biological E is aiming to grow its non-vaccines business of branded pharmaceutical formulations and complex injectables in the next three years to a sizeable scale.

The privately held company has a turnover of about ~1,000 crore, of which close to 70-80 per cent come from the vaccines business now. Biological E aims to take its branded formulations business to a turnover of ~1,000 crore by 2025, and the complex injectables business is expected to touch a turnover of ~2,000-2,500 crore by that time. The vaccines business, too, will grow in the meanwhile, as the company is aiming to be the world’s largest vaccine maker by volumes in the next three to four years.

Biological E was the first company to launch heparin injection in India, said Lakshminarayana Neti, Chief Operating Officer — Vaccine and Domestic Branded formulations. “Currently, we are among the leading suppliers of Heparin, and Noscapine based cough medications,” Neti told Business Standard. The company operates in the acute therapy segment, and its product portfolio covers respiratory, cough management, gastro-intestinal, nutraceuticals, anti-infective, analgesics and critical care.

It is also one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of life-saving poly-valent anti-snake venom in India. Neti says the company is now focused on making its heritage brands stronger, as these brands already enjoy a significant patronage among the healthcare practitioners. “We are also focused on enhancing the reach of these brands across the country. Currently we reach to more than 100,000 doctors in India through our sales team which has close to 800 people across 3 sales and marketing divisions,” he added.

He added, “Through sales operations modernization, and with enhancements in the scientific promotional approach we have been able to grow at 26 per cent CAGR over the last 3 years.” As for the complex generics business, the firm plans to develop one complex generic every two years, and has invested more than ~250 crore in the last few years.

Madhusudan Rao, Chief Operating Officer — Specialty Generic Injectables, Biological E Limited, said the company has ventured into complex generics in the last seven years.

“BE’S complex generics pipeline products are in Low Molecular Weight Heparins, Iron complexes, Long Acting Injectables; Peptides with backward integration into APIS. BE is expecting approval shortly for their first complex generic,” he said.

It has a 225-people strong R&D team, and has two manufacturing facilities. One facility (in the outskirts of Hyderabad) has been inspected and approved by the USFDA, EU and other major regulatory bodies.

“BE is filing products in US, Canada, EU and ROW markets (Brazil, South Africa, Australia,china, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Middle East etc) and has direct market presence in the US and working with partners in EU and ROW markets. BE has so far filed 10 ANDAS and has 4 products commercialized in the US market. Several products are in the pipeline,” Rao said.