Reliance Life Sciences is planning to set up a manufacturing facility for recombinant proteins and cell therapies in Navi Mumbai, with an estimated investment of Rs 1,500 crore (Rs 15 billion) spread over a three-year period.
The Reliance Industries' group company aims to set up dedicated centres for high-end research and manufacturing of speciality therapeutic products.
The facility, which is likely to come up near the group's earlier acquired Nocil facility near Ghansoli, is expected to be commissioned by mid-2006. This facility will also venture into contract manufacturing of bulk drugs and secondary research in biotechnology, sources closed to the development told Business Standard in Mumbai on Tuesday.
The company would mainly focus on embryonic and haematopoietic stem cells, skin and tissue engineering, plant tissue culture, molecular diagnostics, biofuels and monoclonal antibodies, among others. It would also focus on therapies in the treatment of thalassemia, leukaemia and sickle cell anemia through stem cell research.
The Mukesh Ambani-controlled company is also setting up an animal house to conduct regulatory toxicology and preclinical efficacy studies for cell-based therapies.
The company had earlier set up a stem cell-enriched umbilical cord blood repository. The repository offers a sibling donor programme and storage of stem cells from umbilical cord blood from voluntary donors.