Croatian drug maker Pliva, the largest East European pharmaceutical firm by sales, has opened a research facility at Corlim in Goa. The Centre for Bioequivalency Studies, inaugurated by Goa governor S C Jami on Wednesday, will further boost its generics business, Pliva said in a statement.

"This is Pliva's first greenfield investment in India and our fourth research centre. We are pleased that this centre will help Pliva boost its capacity for developing generic drugs," CEO Zeljko Covic said in the statement.

The state-of-art Rs20-crore research and development facility of Pliva Research (India) Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Pliva, is the fourth R&D centre within the group. The new facility, covering an area of over 4,000-square metres, is expected to provide direct employment to 55 people. Pilva has expansion plans and expects employee strength to double by the year 2008.

Goa chief minister Pratapsing Rane, Croatian ambassador to India Dino Debeljuh and Pliva's executive director for generic research and development Zdravka Knezevic were present at the occasion.

Addressing a press conference ahead of the inauguration of the facility, Mohammad Zahirul Islam Khan, chairman, Pliva India said the centre will focus on conducting bio-equivalence, bio-availability and pharmacokinetic studies for the company's generic products pipeline. The Goa unit will complement Pliva's existing R&D capabilities established in the areas of chemistry, bio-technology and formulation development, already operating in Croatia, Poland and the Czech Republic, Dr Khan added.

The Goa facility, he said, is a 100 per cent export-oriented unit and meets the highest standards for domestic and export markets.

Pliva has tie-ups with a number of Indian companies in both R&D and business development, including Dr Reddy's Laboratories, in the area of oncology and Unichem, in the areas of development and product supply.

Pliva operates in more than 30 countries and sees the generic business, including biotechnology, as its driving force.