Abu Dhabi-based pharmaceutical producer Neopharma’s Dr B R Shetty’s Research Centre has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with leading Bangalore-based biotechnology major Biocon.

The agreement between the two companies heralds the region’s first facility to develop life saving biotech and biopharmaceutical products.
Commenting on the JV, Dr B R Shetty stated that Neopharma’s foray into the biotech field would influence a fresh wave of new manufacturing technologies.
Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman and managing director of Biocon, said Biocon’s partnership with the research centre would contribute to the growth and development of biotechnology in the UAE.  Biocon is India’s leading biotechnology enterprise.  
With a wide range of products in leading therapy segments such as antibiotics and painkillers, Neopharma is now further strengthening its organic business by entering the coveted field of biotechnology.
Through the new joint venture, the two companies will leverage on each other’s strengths to manufacture and market biopharmaceutical products for the GCC region. The JV will bring out novel life-saving drugs in the fields of oncology, diabetes, auto-immune disorders and cardiology. The product mix will also include anti-obesity drugs and new-generation immunosuppressant drugs.