Andhra pharma units in expansion mode

The Unit Approval Committee (UAC) of Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone (VSEZ) has accorded approval to various pharma companies for broad banding and enhancing their capacities. The meeting held here in virtual mode at Duvvada under the chairmanship of VSEZ Development Commissioner A Rama Mohan Reddy did not receive any fresh proposal for a new unit at VSEZ-Duvvada due to the pandemic.

The UAC in its meeting accorded approvals for several pharma units located in AP including Reddy's Labs, Lee Pharma, Divis Labs at Bheemili, Esai Pharma at Ramky SEZ, Salora at AP Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) and Hetero Drugs at Nakkapalli, Aurobindo for broad banding and enhancing their capacities.

Eisai Pharma is also approved to go for trading of Zonisamide of 1,000 kgs. Dr Reddy's Srikakulam will make 1.95 million tabs of various doses of Gastro resistant medicines for export worth Rs28.83crore. Divi's Labs has also sought for broad banding of a number of nutraceuticals related to animal health, coloring agents and will have annual capacities of 69 MTs and will achieve Net Foreign Exchange (NFE) of Rs122 crore in the next five years.

Reddy said in a release that the UAC also approved the proposal of Hetero Drugs to make sodium zirconium Cyclosilicate 100 Kgs, a hematology related drug. Aurobindo in Naidupeta in AP will make 2.1 million tablets of Guaifenesin and Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride.

Lee Pharma, Reddy's Lab in Duvvada are approved to make drugs for Covid treatment such as Doxycycline, Favipiravir and Esomeprazole, Paracetamol of 14 lakh tablets, Diazepam and Lacosamide of 1.2 lakh injections of various doses. Divi's Labs is accorded approval for making 150 MTs of Vitamin D2 (nutraceuticals) to earn NFE of Rs 244 crore. Divi's is also approved to enhance their capacities in making animal feed like Astapet and Astafeed to the tune of 1020 MT and will export them to.

Europe to earn NFE of Rs1,250 crore. Salora Pharma in APSEZ is approved for making Intermediate for Molnupravir a Covid drug to the tune of 240 MT costing Rs336 crore and Favipiravir of 180 MT, a Covid drug costing around Rs990 crore. Laurus Labs will make a number of medicines related to Covid treatment and other diabetic problems for test and analysis purposes and will go for commercial production in the next three years.