Cipla chairman and managing director YK Hamied told shareholders at the annual general meeting here on Friday that the company was targeting exports of Rs 150 crore in 1999-2000. This represents a 26 per cent increase over the previous year's figure of over Rs 119 crore (inlcuding fees for technology transfer). Sales for the first five months are Rs 335 crore.

On whether Cipla was looking at a strategic alliance with multinationals like Merck/Novartis, Hamied said, "As of today, there is none. For the moment, we can stand on our own feet. Maybe, in future, we will see."

Elaborating on the Zenith Goldline alliance, Ciplawhole-time director, Amar Lulla, said that while the abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) belongs to the US partner, the Indian company would serve as the supply point for flutamide formulations. In India, Cipla's flutamide formulation has been branded, Cytomid, and is indicated for the management of advanced prostatic cancer in previously untreated patients or in those who have not responded or who have become refractory to hormonal manipulation.

The company is also working on a similar arrangement for felodipine used to treat hypertension. Schering holds the international patents for flutamide, while the Astra-Merck combine holds the patents for felodipine. Cipla's domestic felodipine formulation is branded Felogard.

The company is also close to launching R-salbutamol, based on chiral synthesis. The product, besides offering a better side-effect profile, will also reduce the dosage required. Also on the cards are soft gel cyclosporin capsules, anti-cancer drugs like paclitaxel, docitaxel.

Chiraldrugs are essentially based on the principle that most substances comprise two near identical "mirror image" molecules called isomers. Often one isomer contributes to the most useful activity while the other causes most of the side-effects. Loosely put, chiral synthesis involves repacking a successful drug by leaving out all unnecessary, side-effect causing components.

The company has also decided against going ahead with a joint venture in China, though Cipla has not made any investment there. The company is also reviewing the buyback option, on an ongoing basis.

Earlier, Hamied stressed that the Government must ensure that the compulsory license provision must be incorporated in the Indian Patents Act, under the GATT/TRIPS framework. "The government should have the freedom to grant licences of right for drugs required for national health programmes, like those for TB, malaria, AIDs etc," he said.

Hamied also said that stockpiling prior to patent expiry, to enable marketing immediately after patentexpiry, must be allowed. This is totally in line with the US patent laws, he pointed out.