Ashland opens pharma research facility in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Ashland Speciality Ingredients, part of Ashland Inc, today opened a centre of excellence focussed on pharmaceuticals in Hyderabad.
The expertise offered here would be pre-dominantly in oral solid dosage form and a range of technical services for drug companies. It is in a leased facility in Alexandria City, near the ICICI Knowledge Park on the outskirts of the city.
With 20 scientists and about 25 Indian customers, the facility is the third for Ashland, said Luis Fernandez-Moreno, President, Ashland Speciality Ingredients. The other two are in Wilmington, Delaware, US and Shanghai in China.
Vast scope
Ashland has invested up to $10 million in India in its two centres of excellence — new pharma in Hyderabad and existing personal care in Mumbai. Investments are into lab equipment and research facilities and not infrastructure building, he told newspersons here.
India promises big opportunities for Ashland’s sectors of global business — coatings and energy, food and beverage, pharma, personal care, construction materials and oilfield service.
"We intend to invest more, expand in human resources and be open to acquisitions and setting up manufacturing units", Fernandez-Moreno said.
Ashland will offer speciality chemicals and industry-leading products, technologies and resources to provide technical solutions to the formulation majors.
With more than 300 employees in the country and a double-digit growth, the US headquartered company will also leverage Indian strengths to grow its global businesses. The company has invested $250 million in Asia since 2007.
"The strengths in oral solid dosage forms — tablets and capsules, delivery of drugs (a major challenge for the industry), enhancing bioavailability, research for materials in injectable drugs will be offered to drug customers.
Globally 70 per cent of our research is in collaboration with customers", said Thomas Durig, Senior Director, Pharma & Nutrition Specialities R&D.