Fact Sheet
Aurobindo Pharma
Aurobindo Pharma, a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company, manufactures generic formulations and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and has emerged as one of the most respected names in the industry. Aurobindo Pharma was incorporated in 1986 by Mr. P.V. Ramaprasad Reddy along with Mr. K. Nityananda Reddy, both first generation entrepreneurs. The company commenced its operations in 1988-89 as a single unit, manufacturing semi synthetic penicillins (SSPs) at Pondicherry. Over the years it has evolved into a multi-unit, multi-product conglomerate with several manufacturing facilities for APIs-oral and sterile, drug intermediates, and formulations.
With revenue of US$2.6 billion in FY 2017-18, the company began operations in late eighties as an API manufacturer focusing on semi-synthetic penicillin and cephalosporin products. The company expanded by entering into the formulations production in 2002 and filed its first ANDA in the US in 2003. Aurobindo generates 90% of its sales from international markets. It currently holds a strong position in the US market, where it is the 5th largest generic pharmaceutical company as per the IMS National Prescription Audit, measured by total prescriptions dispensed for the twelve months ending Jun 2018. It also holds a strong position in many European countries, including France and Italy where it ranks among the largest generic companies.
Aurobindo is one of the top 2 listed pharmaceutical companies in India by FY18 sales. It is a vertically integrated company with around 70% of its API requirement met in-house. Aurobindo has 26 manufacturing facilities for its API and formulations business, which has the requisite approval from various regulatory authorities including the US FDA, UK MHRA, Japan PMDA, WHO, Health Canada, MCC South Africa and ANVISA Brazil. The company’s robust product portfolio is spread over major therapeutic/product areas encompassing Antibiotics, Anti-Retrovirals, CVS, CNS, Gastroenterologicals, Anti-Allergies and Anti-Diabetics, supported by an outstanding R&D set-up. The company markets these products globally, in over 150 countries. With a global footprint, Aurobindo employs over 20,000 people over 31 countries.
The company’s R&D team of over 1,600 people is increasingly focused on difficult to develop, niche oral, sterile, specialty injectable products, biosimilars, semi synthetic and peptide based drugs involving difficult, clinical end-point studies. Aurobindo is focused on developing complicated molecules, differentiated offerings, broad spectrum products and newer technologies. The company along with its continuous focus on the base business is also capitalizing on complex molecules, differentiated technology platforms and specialty products. Aurobindo’s strengths lie in being a vertically integrated pharmaceutical player with a large product portfolio of ANDAs, efficient supply chain management and optimal utilization of capacities. It focused on the Health Safety and Environment, its manufacturing infrastructure, the knowledge base at its research centres and the ability to successfully manage its process chemistry. Aurobindo entered the biosimilars segment with the acquisition of five cell culture derived biosimilar products from TL Biopharmaceutical AG. in addition to these, the company is also identified eight more products for development. Aurobindo has set up a fully functional R&D centre for biologics development and a state-of-art manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Aurobindo also develops fermentation based semi synthetic products and produces novel proprietary biocatalysts through its subsidiary AuroZymes. AuroZymes has developed key core technology in biocatalysis and has identified a number of products for implementation within the Aurobindo group of companies. Its technology development includes panels of 12-different classes’ enzymes and approximately 3,000 biocatalysts for use in screening against potential targets.
Recently, Aurobindo entered Poland and the Czech Republic with the acquisition of commercial operations from Apotex. The company also strengthened its US presence with acquisition of dermatology and oral solid businesses from Sandoz.