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Cipla Seeks Favourable Pharma Policy In India, Ease Of Doing Business

An increase in the government’s public healthcare expenditure is the need of the hour, says Cipla Chairman Yusuf Hamied.

Yusuf Hamied, chairman of Cipla Ltd., says India should formulate a pharma policy to suit the specific needs of the indigenous industry. (Photographer: Adeel Halim/Bloomberg)
Yusuf Hamied, chairman of Cipla Ltd., says India should formulate a pharma policy to suit the specific needs of the indigenous industry. (Photographer: Adeel Halim/Bloomberg)

Cipla Ltd. has urged the government to increase expenditure in the healthcare sector, improve ease of doing business and formulate a pharma policy that aids the Indian pharmaceutical industry.

Addressing shareholders in the company's annual report for 2018-19, Cipla Chairman Yusuf Hamied said basic healthcare in India will always require urgent attention, given the country’s population and disease burden.

"India should formulate legislation on healthcare to suit the specific needs of the indigenous pharma industry as also the healthcare required in the country. An increase in the government's public healthcare expenditure is the need of the hour," Hamied said.

Echoing the sentiment, Cipla Executive Vice-Chairperson Samina Vaziralli said that with the government returning for a second consecutive five-year term armed with a strong mandate, expectations are high.

"As a pharma company, we look forward to support in strengthening infrastructure and ease of doing business, developing a robust regulatory framework, increasing healthcare expenditure, and balancing of pricing controls with provision of accessible and affordable healthcare," said Vaziralli.

Cipla is also eager to explore ways to partner with the government in its ambitious healthcare schemes to ensure coverage to the maximum extent possible, she added.

Commenting on business aspects, Cipla Managing Director and Global Chief Executive Officer Umang Vohra said the drugmaker eyes growth in various emerging markets like China.

"We have spoken about our ambitions in China as a future growth market. We are keen to take our well-established expertise in the respiratory segment to patients in China," Vohra said. Simultaneously, the company will also explore various routes to build a portfolio of products in China in other therapeutic areas such as oncology, he added.

Cipla also plans to grow private market business in Middle East, Asia Pacific and Latin America. In Brazil, it aims to focus on oncology while eyeing partnerships in biosimilars in its key markets.

At present, Cipla's core markets India, South Africa and the U.S. continue to anchor its growth, Vohra said.

In India, Cipla said it will focus on therapeutic segments like diabetes, dermatology, cardiology and women's health. In South Africa, the company aims to scale up its over-the-counter business and also continue momentum in private market.

The company said its next leg of growth in the U.S. will be driven by opportunities in the respiratory and central nervous system therapeutic areas, where its internal research and development-driven contributions to the complex generics and specialty segment portfolios will play a key role.

The company said it will also continue driving cost efficiencies through various initiatives and drive operational efficiencies through a lean model, use of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics.