New R&D facility in Bangalore

Bangalore: Pharmaceutical contract manufacturer Kemwell said it has set up a new R&D facility in Bangalore to cater to GSK’s global oral healthcare projects.

The Oral Care Unit is fully operational and was put up in six months, the Bangalore-based company said in a release, but did not give details.

It said the facility can take up all requisite development activities, up to the technical transfer of the product for manufacture into a GSK facility.

The plant was officially opened on Wednesday in the presence of senior officials of GSK Consumer Healthcare R&D’s Global Resourcing Department.

The two companies have a 20-year association, Kemwell said.

The facility is part of GSKCH’s global plan to double its pipeline projects by 2013. GSK’s oral care sales amounted to £1,049 million in 2007, led by toothpastes and mouthwashes under the brand names Aquafresh, Sensodyne, Macleans and Odol, the release said.

According to Mr Subhash Bagaria, Chairman and Managing Director, his company is further investing in infrastructure to provide R&D services such as formulation and analytical services, stability studies and clinical trial manufacturing in various dosage forms.