News: Anglo French to foray into four speciality segments

(BS 31/07/2006) Mumbai - Anglo-French Drugs and Industries, one of the leading vitamin formulations company in India, is planning to enter four new speciality therapeutic segments adding gynaecology, gastro, diabetes and cardiovascular into its portfolio.

The company will also almost double its work force by adding over 50 people every year in the specialty divisions in the next three years beginning from now the second half of 2006.

The company's fresh investments in this three to four year expansion plan including the manufacturing plants upgradation, is expected to be in the range of Rs 80 to 100 crore.

"We will now enter the specialty segments like gynaecology, diabetes, gastroenterology segments, which has high growth potential in India. And also would expand to new export market in a phased manner with these specialty products," said Abhay Kanoria, chairman and managing director, Anglo French.

The company is planning a substantial investment in the proposed expansion plan, which includes upgradation of existing manufacturing plants and also adding additional capacities to achieve the revenue target of Rs 500 crore by the end of 2008, he added.

This year, the company launched products like L-Beplex, a combination of lacto-acid bacillus with b-complex and zinc. Mycol, an injectable of Mecobalamin 500 mcg/ml in a patient friendly pack.

There are more introductions in the pipeline in pain management and gynaecological products range, expected to be launched in this calendar year.

Supporting the expanded product basket will be an enlarged field force, with a planned increase of 15 per cent in the beginning of the next year.

Credited with being the first company in India to manufacture single vitamin injectables and a combination of B Complex vitamins, Anglo-French has now emerged as a brand leader in the B-complex market in the country. Currently, the company is present in therapeutic groups, such as Sleep Inducing Agents, Anti-malarials, Protein food supplements, Anti-epileptics, Anti-Cold and Cough preparations, Digestive enzymes, Antioxidants and NSAIDs, Muscle Relaxant Analgesics.

Though Anglo French commenced operations in India with importing and selling pharmaceutical products, the company soon established its own manufacturing facilities in Mumbai.

The success of the venture resulted in an association with Swiss pharma giant, F-Hoffmann-La Roche in 1959 and in 1985 it was acquired by the progressive Kanoria Group of Industries. Since then it has been growing at a much faster pace .

With operations in Africa, Russia and CIS, the exports division too is poised to leap forward, with products being registered in the West Asia, south East Asia and Latin America. The company has it splants currently at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh caters to both the domestic and export requirement.