• 4/29/2006
  • Mumbai, India
  • staff
  • MoneyControl.com

Scientists in this brand new facility built by Biocon are an excited lot. That’s because Biocon’s collaborator, CIMAB has just received the marketing approval for a revolutionary treatment for head and neck cancer. The fast track approvals are obtained for select countries like Columbia, China, Cuba and Argentina.

The intravenous injectible drug coded H-R3 is a high-end biotech discovery that effectively blocks the epidermal growth factor receptors, a substance that is responsible for the growth of cancer cells. With almost 600 patients clearing the safety and efficacy data, this drug may see quick acceptance among patients with head and neck cancer.

With more marketing approvals for the drug expected from European regulatory agencies soon, Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw expects due marketing permissions from India too. The pricing, she says, will be affordable to the Indian population.

Biocon scientists say that the drug has significant advantages over its rivals in terms of localisation on points, where the cancer cell density is high. However, with global majors like Genentech working on more sophisticated monoclonal antibodies, this appears to be an exciting opportunities.

Biocon may soon become the first ever Indian company to have its own molecule in the global market.