Astellas Pharma, the second largest pharmaceutical company in Japan, is eyeing marketing alliances in Indian pharmaceuticals sector.
The company is also likely to conduct clinical trials in India for development of molecules under trials.
The company, which has announced entry into India by setting up own subsidiary, is likely to enter marketing alliances with major Indian players, for drugs in areas of urology, diabetes, central nervous system, oncology and pain management drugs.
Earlier, Eisai, the first Japanese company to enter India, had entered into marketing alliances with Wockhardt and GlaxoSmithkline India.
Teruo Yasufuku, MD, Astellas Pharma India, told FE, ?In India, we are a start up company. The possible alliance with an Indian player having strength in various therapeutic areas will help us to establish our drugs in India. However, we are exploring such a possibility but not made any decisions on it.?
The parent player also wanted to explore the potential clinical trial segment in India for the further development of molecules under trials. It has about 12 molecules under various phases of trials in Europe, US and Japan. Another 5 molecules are locally developed in Japan and 8 in the US.
The Indian subsidiary aims at establishing business with a capitalisation of around JPY 320 million in an Indian market through developing sales and marketing activities of in-house products. The company had sales of 965 billion Yen in FY 2008 and 159 billion Yen for R&D spending (16.5% of sales).
Astellas?with its presence in transplant and urology areas?plans to first introduce prograf, a leading drug among immunosuppressants, used after organ transplantation.
The market for drugs in transplant area in India comes about Rs 160 crore.
Novartis (Neoral), Roche and Panacea Biotech market similar products in India. The company has other major urology products in areas such as overactive bladder (OAB) and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).
The market for OAB and BPH drugs in India comes about $6 million and $31 million respectively.
Astellas Pharma Inc. located in Tokyo, Japan, was formed through the merger of Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd in April 2005.