• PAGE ONE
• INDEX
• HOME

GlobalPharma to begin production by year-end

Vimala Vasan

ABU DHABI, May 22

GLOBALPHARMA, the joint venture pharmaceuticals manufacturing company between India's Kopran and Dubai Investments, plans to start commercial production by the year-end and is targeting the international market for its products, according to a senior com pany official.

Mr Anil Matai, the newly appointed General Manager of GlobalPharma, told Business Line that trial production at the $20-million manufacturing facility of Dubai Investments Park in Jebel Ali industrial area will begin in late July. ``We plan to start comm ercial production 4-6 months after this,'' he said.

Kopran with its headquarters in Mumbai has a 35 per cent equity stake in the firm, while Dubai Investments holds 65 per cent. Kopran would also be involved in technology transfer

for the first phase of products manufactured at the facility, he said.

GlobalPharma, which is the second such manufacturing

facility in the UAE to become operational, has been designed and built in accordance with international standards with the help of consultants from the UK and Swtizerland. It will house advanced equipment as well as an experienced multinational staff, sa id Mr Matai, formerly the Executive Vice-President of Glaxo India.

``We are looking at a global perspective for our products and as such, will be adhering to stringent standards as well as ethical aspects in relation to the manufacturing process. This aspect mixed with competitive pricing is expected to give us an edge, '' he said.

The firm will initially target the UAE market and in six months' time, the other Gulf States. ``These markets can be covered by 25 per cent capacity at the plant. We are directing our efforts at strategic alliances with international pharmaceutical firms interested in a local manufacturing base, as well as licensing products and contract manufacturing for premier companies,'' he said.

The Gulf States, currently dominated by products from the US and Europe and the prevailing high prices, had induced investment in the local manufacture of drugs. Mr Matai agreed that the main focus of GlobalPharma would be to cut into the market share of Western companies operating in the Gulf markets.

The Jebel Ali facility has two dedicated units for manufacture of penicillin and non-penicillin drugs. The focus will be on oral solids and liquid preparations.