Bangalore: The Rs 620-crore pharmaceutical major, Unichem Laboratories Ltd, has decided to scale up its research and development activities being carried out from its R&D centre in Bangalore with a tie up with the Indian Institute of Science.

Unichem has invested in a biotechnology R&D facility at the Indian Institute of Science where the institute's scientists and researchers carry out biotech research for the company with funding from Unichem. The focus at the centre is on recombinant proteins for diabetic and E.coli.

The company's chairman and managing director, Dr Prakash Mody said that the company has successfully developed certain novel process technologies for these recombinant proteins for which it has filed for patent rights. Unichem is in talks with overseas companies to join it in co-development and pilot scale modelling to develop drugs.

"We are in the process of scaling up these technologies and are in discussion with potential partners to carry out further clinical studies and to commercially launch these products," he added.

"We are currently spending around 3.63 per cent of our total turnover in R&D, which is expected to increase to 5-6 per cent by 2007. We will continue to invest in R&D, focusing on the development of 'new drug delivery system' formulations and working on non-infringing and cost effective processes to develop generic drugs going-off patent,'' he said.

In fact, Unichem's recurring R&D expenditure has been consistently on the rise and will increase further in order to meet the requirements of both national and international markets.

Commenting on the post-patent prospects for the company, Dr Mody said Unichem was geared to meet the challenges. "Our investments in research and development are on the rise and we have devised a strategy to exploit the generic market of developed countries as a result of many blockbuster products going off patent by 2011."

With the availability of expertise and validation services of international standards, Unichem will focus on procuring regulatory approvals so as to enable us to market our products in developed countries.

The company also has an in-house R&D centre at Jogeshwari in Mumbai where it carries out analytical research, process and product development and drug delivery research.