Leading pharmaceutical firm Lupin Ltd. announced that its US-based subsidiary has signed an exclusive pact with ForDoz Pharma Corp for distribution of two complex injectable drug candidates that are in advanced stages of development in the country. The pact was signed for two drug candidates namely one each in the oncology and anti-infective segments, which when approved, will provide affordable alternatives to patients and healthcare professionals. Lupin has so far unveiled women’s health drugs Methergine and Solosec, as well as cholesterol-lowering Antara.

Under the pact, ForDoz’s manufacturing site in the US will produce the drug candidate and will be responsible for its development and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals, while Lupin will use its commercial infrastructure for their marketing and distribution. “The partnered assets are a key, strategic addition to our complex injectables pipeline and will bolster our Institutional business offering. These assets will complement Lupin’s ongoing organic R&D (research and development) efforts in complex assets including inhalation and long-acting injectables as well as biosimilars,” asserts Alok Sonig, Lupin’s CEO for US generics and Global Head for Generics R&D and Biosimilars.

For ForDoz, Lupin’s marketing and distribution network in the US will be providing an advantage for sale of its products. The two companies, however, did not give financial details of the pact.
Like many large Indian pharmaceutical firms, Lupin has been scaling up investments in building its speciality generics and biosimilar portfolio as profit margin from simple generic drugs contract due to consolidation of distribution channels and increasing competition. Speciality generics, on the other hand, are more complex to make, providing drugmakers an avenue for greater financial growth. The company is currently working on the launch of other specialty generics like that of asthma-drug ProAir and another inhalation solution Brovana.

Lupin is moving ahead with a clear strategy of safety and preparedness. At the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, it setup a centralized ‘Covid-19 Taskforce’ to monitor the situation daily and put in place adequate safeguards to ensure the health and safety of its employees, develop a business continuity plan, and support the communities it operates in. All its factories have been maximizing the production of life-saving drugs to ensure that despite the ongoing crisis, the drugs remain available for its communities around the world. The company has ramped-up production of hydroxychloroquine sulphate and Azithromycin – two drugs being explored as potential treatment for Covid-19.