Pharma Bio-World - Mumbai, July 22, 2008

Expanding Horizons

Troikaa Pharmaceuticals Limited, the fast growing Rs.100 Crore Ahmedabad based healthcare company, is planning to launch six products in cardiology, gynecology, and hospital product segments by the year-end.  Of these, two products each are targeted for Aura, Spektra and Hospitroy and one will be an NDDS for pain management.

Besides this, the company is focusing on NDDS in a major way and has filed patents for the six products in the parenteral, oral buccal, and transdermal segments.

Speaking exclusively to Pharma Bio World, Ketan R. Patel, Managing Director, Troikaa Pharma, said, “Currently, our major focus is on the NDDS in the above mention segments.  We have around 200 products available in the market in four divisions namely Spektra (general products, pain, gynecology) Aura (Cardiology), Hospitroy (Hospital products), and Novogen (Generic Division).”

“We are committed to the development, manufacturing, and marketing of need and niche-based products of world-class quality for the treatment of sickness and diseases using innovative manufacturing technologies for products.”

Technology

Speaking about the company’s recently launched products, he said, “we have launched Dynapar AQ, an injectable. For the first time in the world, Diclofenac 75 mg/ml injection has been introduced for the management of acute pain.  Unlike conventional Diclofenac, 1 ml of Dynapar AQ Inj. can be given intra-deltoid as well.  Multicentric clinical studies have proven the efficacy and safety of 75 mg/ml diclofenac injections.  Bioequivalence studies show that Dynapar AQ 1 ml injection offers higher bioavailability compared to the conventional 3 ml Diclofenac Inj. Studies show that majority of intra-gluteal injections may actually be subcutaneous and the rate of absorption is faster when given intra-deltoid rather than intra-gluteal.  Moreover, smaller volume of concentrated solution causes lesser muscle damage compared to the larger volume of relatively less concentrated solution.”

“Both our manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Dehradun have obtained WHO-GMP certification and our Quality Management Systems are certified by KVQA to follow ISO 9001:2000 standards for the manufacture and supply of drugs and pharmaceuticals.  The facilities have an installed capacity to manufacture 2.5 million capsules, 3 million injectables, half a million soft capsules, and half a million hard gelatin capsules per day”, he added.

Exports

Regarding the company’s export activities, he said, “About 30-35 products are marketed and prescribed in more than 40 countries across CIS, Asia, Africa, & Latin America.  Exports contribute about 16% to the turnover and it is expected to grow to 23-24% this year.  Our rate of growth is around 30-35% in the domestic market and we are expecting it to grow to about 40%.  We expect our sales turnover to touch about Rs.140 crore this year from the present Rs.100 Crore.”

Research & Development

The company’s strength lies in its Research and Formulation Development, which has resulted in the development of proprietary technology platforms like Aquatech (Painless administration of drugs), Lipisol (Making oily formulations water miscible), Matrix (sustained release of small amounts of the active ingredient in a controlled manner over an extended period of time from a tablet), and many more. The formulations developed from these platforms are unique as well as superior to conventional formulations available in the market. Every product formulation under these technology platforms is backed up by multi-centric clinical trials conducted at reputed institutions.  Some of the products developed from these innovative technologies are Dynapar AQ, Aqua-E (water-soluble natural vitamin E), FENO-TG (microsolve technology), Sitrus-LA (slow release of vitamin C), etc.

Future Plans

The company also plans to set up a manufacturing facility as per USFDA Guidelines. “Towards this goal, we have acquired 65 acres of land near Ahmedabad.  After starting operations from our new plant, we will also focus on drugs related to neurology and psychiatry. We are looking for a strategic license with overseas partners. Also, we will be entering markets of Brazil, South Africa, Columbia, and Frankfurt.  We are also planning to increase the marketing network in India and abroad.

The NDDS segment is witnessing significant innovations.  “There are innovations related to the Slow Release (SR) of drugs for parenteral use. Also there are ongoing bioavailability studies of NDDS.  In India, the concept of NDDS is an emerging area and is gaining acceptance among the doctors and patients. There is a need for increasing awareness about NDDS and its advantages compared to normal drugs,” remarked Mr. Patel.

Troikaa, founded in 1983, began its commercial activities in 1984. “We had a humble beginning with a small factory and staff strength of 15 people.  However, constant innovation and aggressive marketing have resulted in a steady growth for Troikaa Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Currently it has four marketing divisions and more than 725 employees.