Daiichi Sankyo to launch Ranbaxy's drugs in Japan

Daiichi Sankyo, which has a majority stake in Ranbaxy Laboratories, said on Monday it is going to launch some of Ranbaxy's generic medicine in the Japanese market soon.

"There is a debate going on in Japan on how to reduce healthcare cost by increasing the generic share to 30 per cent. Soon we will be launching Ranbaxy's generic drugs in the Japanese market," Daiichi Sankyo senior executive officer, global corporate strategy and member of board, Tsutomu Une, told reporters on the sidelines of the India Economic Summit.

Asked about the time frame, he said, "It is only a matter of time."

The company is working on a synergy plan with Ranbaxy under which Daiichi Sankyo's product will be introduced in emerging markets through Ranbaxy, he said, declining to give further details.

Asked about Ranbaxy's US Food and Drug Administration issue, he said Daiichi is working to resolve the matter, adding that Ranbaxy has no issue with the Japanese drug regulator. Last year, the USFDA had banned 30 generic drugs produced at Ranbaxy's plants at Poanta Sahib (in Himachal Pradesh) and Dewas (in Madhya Pradesh) citing violation of good manufacturing practice.

Subsequently, the Application Integrity Policy was imposed on Poanta Sahib facility, which meant the company's drug applications were not reviewed.