Gedeon Richter forges alliance with Intas Pharma’s research arm Astron for generic supply

Gedeon Richter Plc of Hungary has entered into a pact with Indian contract services firm Astron Research Ltd on the supply of  generic products.

Astron Research Ltd is a research arm of the Mumbai-based Intas Pharma Ltd.

Development collaboration agreement signed on 26 February 2010 make Gedeon Richter and Astron  have undertaken to jointly develop several generic products as selected by Richter.

Development costs will be jointly funded by the parties with the products being independently marketed by the two companies in specific geographic areas including Russia where Richter will have exclusive marketing rights.

Based on the agreement, there may be long term supplies from Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd for the products which are identified for joint development.

‘This agreement with Astron is a perfect fit with Richter’s corporate strategy in that on the one hand it aims at the continuous expansion of our product portfolio while on the other hand presents an opportunity to focus our available development capacities on the development of products offering high added value’ said Erik Bogsch, managing director of Richter.

Astron Research Limited is a fast growing Pharma Contract Research Organisation (CRO).

Astron Researach was established in the year 2001 with an objective to provide prompt and reliable services to Pharma sector worldwide and improve the product quality with the help of Technological Innovations and Upgradations. Astron commenced its UK operations in 2004 for Quality Testing and QP Release of finished formulations and API. This facility is now UK-MHRA approved.

The Company has products and technology sold in over 50 countries, which includes European Union, US, Canada Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Middle East & North African countries.

Astron has filed 18 ANDAs in US and developed 38 EU CTD dossiers till 2007.

The Global turnover registered a growth of 40% in the current financial year with the contribution of European market being 50%.

Astron is capable of handling formulation and analytical research of solid orals, injectables, lyophilised injectables, topicals, effervescent tablets, specialty medicaments like potent drugs & Oncology products.

The company has also acquired expertise in oral NDDS and controlled release pellets.

Gedeon Richter Plc. is a Hungarian-controlled Central-Eastern European multinational pharmaceutical company.

Richter has a leading position in the domestic market. The company has also evolved into a Central-Eastern European multinational corporation, with a growing presence in the CIS nations, the European Union and the United States of America.

Richter’s distribution network is unparalleled in central and eastern Europe, extending to cover almost 100 countries in five continents around the world. The Company maintains a direct presence in 30 countries, with a total of four manufacturing sites, 30 representative offices and 14 commercial subsidiaries and wholesalers.

Besides carrying out original research, the company is also engaged in the development of generic drugs and chemical processes.

Richter’s original pharmaceutical research activities focus exclusively on the identification of active ingredients that are effective in the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system, primarily molecules that are suitable for the alleviation of chronic pain, schizophrenia and anxiety.

Richter invests a budget of 8% of its sales revenue, or almost HUF 14 billion in 2006 in research and development.

In recognition of Richter’s outstanding innovative achievements, in 1996 the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) awarded the Company a Gold Medal for registering the highest number of patents. Richter won the Hungarian Innovation Society’s Innovation Prize for the development of active ingredients in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2005, and the Society’s Grand Innovation Prize in 2003 and 2006. Also in 2006, Richter’s antihypertensive product was named “Medicine of the Year.”