Healthcare giant GSK Pharma to invest Rs 1K cr in Karnataka plant

Agencies
July 9, 2017

Bengaluru, Jul 9: Global healthcare company GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd is investing Rs 1,000 crore in a new state-of-the-art pharmaceutical unit in Karnataka and is looking at enhancing its global pipeline in areas like respiratory drugs and vaccines in India.

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"We are investing Rs 1,000 crore in a new state-of-the- art pharmaceutical factory in Vemgal, Karnataka. The factory will initially supply a range of solid dose form products. The factory will commence production in 2018 and produce more than 8 billion tablets and 1 billion capsules a year," the company said in its annual report.

"We will focus on securing reliable supply of our high- quality medicines to patients through our manufacturing facility in Nashik, Maharashtra and our upcoming facility in Vemgal, Karnataka. We will continue to bring the best of our innovative global pipeline in areas like respiratory and vaccines to our patients in India," GSK India managing director A Vaidheesh said.

The company is assessing new products from its global respiratory and vaccines pipeline and reviewing these for a possible launch in India. In addition, it is also reviewing complementary inorganic opportunities, the company said, adding that nearly 30 per cent of global pharmaceutical volumes sold by GSK is sold in the country.

The drug major is also upgrading its existing Nashik facility. In compliance with the GSK respiratory free strategy and the WHO requirement for the segregated manufacturing of hormonal products, GSK India has invested Rs 115 crore to construct a dedicated facility for the manufacturing of Eltroxin. The new eltroxin facility will be fully operational in 2018.

The company said it continues to enjoy a leadership position in many of the therapy areas in which it provides solutions to patients. Six of the company's brands feature in the top-50 IPM brand list, namely Augmentin, Calpol, Zinetac, Betnovate-N, Betnovate-C and Synflorix. The company has also taken initiatives to re-engineer its business model to maintain competitive margins, it said.

GSK India strives to derive profitable volume growth in a competitive and partly price-controlled generic market with focus on delivering quality products. It is also enhancing its technological capabilities to optimise its medical and field force engagement with healthcare professionals.

The company welcomed the government's move of doctors prescribing low-cost generic medicines.

The company also applauds the government's efforts to ensure the quality of generic drugs approved by the state FDAs.

"We understood that these may now require bio-equivalence studies to be conducted for all drugs for category II and category IV of the biopharmaceutical classification system.

"However, we urge that such quality assurance measures should be extended to existing licensed generics also in the interests of patients. In addition, there should be an emphasis on adherence to global manufacturing standard certified by the World Health Organisation," it said.

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News Network
April 25,2024

Bengaluru, Apr 25: Former union minister C M Ibrahim, who was expelled from Janata Dal (Secular) for protesting against party’s alliance with BJP, has stressed on need for a third front not just at the national level, but also in Karnataka. 

Addressing a news conference in Bengaluru on Wednesday, he said he’s planning to form a third front in Karnataka along with Lingayat Seer Dingaleshwar Swami.

Ibrahim said that he will tour the state between April 27 and May 4 and that he would meet Dingaleshwar Swami on April 29. “There is a need for the third front in this country. We will try to establish a third front in association with the seer and we hope we will be successful in those efforts,” he said.

Expressing disappointment with the Congress for not doing enough to gain the full confidence of Muslims, Ibrahim said that Congress is concentrating only on certain communities for votes, and ignoring Muslims. 

“The Congress is not even caring for Muslims and Dalit votes. In some Muslim areas they did not even hold campaigns seeking votes and trying to convince the communities which never vote in their favour. I fear this may lead to low turnout and Congress may lose its vote base,” he opined.

Mentioning about guarantees on which Congress is strongly relying during this election, Ibrahim said, such things won’t work all the time. “Guarantees will not work anymore. Every election you need to give something new to the voters,” he added.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that Congress is trying to appease minorities for votes, Ibrahim requested both Congress and BJP parties not bring Muslims between them. “I request both parties. Leave us alone. Don’t make us sandwiches for your political sake. We are living with peace and hope even the Prime Minister will understand this,” Ibrahim added.

Launching a broadside against Prime Minister Deve Gowda, Ibrahim said, “Deve Gowda has sold his personality itself. Whatever I have told about JD(S) has come true. I pity, a former Prime Minister should not have come to this stage,” he said. 

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News Network
April 11,2024

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Udupi: A middle aged couple lost their lives while their teenage son survived with critical wounds after a speeding car, which was travelling from Maharashtra to Kerala, fell off a flyover in Kundapur taluk of Udupi district. 

The deceased have been identified as Munnavar (49), who was driving the car, and his wife Sameera (41), a native of Kannur in Kerala. Their son Suhail (18), who was in the car, suffered severe injured and is recovering at Manipal Hospital. He is said to be out of danger.

The family was traveling from Kollapur to Kannur as Sameera was a native of Kannur. Their plan was to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in Sameera’s parental home.  

However, on Tuesday (April 9) morning, when the car reached near Bobbaryanakatte, it reportedly went out of control of the driver and fell off the flyover on to the service road.

All three were immediately rushed to the hospital in Kundapur. Sameera died immediately upon admission to the hospital, while Munnavar succumbed to injuries at Manipal Hospital on April 10. The mortal remains of both were handed over to relatives after the post-mortem.

Kundapur DySp Belliyappa, Circle Inspector Nada Kunar, Traffic SIs Naveen Naik, and Savitri Nayak visited the accident spot for the inspection.

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News Network
April 23,2024

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Hubballi, Apr 23: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday spoke to father of slain student Neha Hiremath over phone and said "sorry" over his daughter's killing, and assured that "we will be on your side".

The Chief Minister also informed Niranjan Hiremath, who is also a Congress councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, about the government's decision to hand over the murder case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and setting up a special court to fast-track trial.

"Niranjan... very sorry. We will be on your side," Siddaramaiah told Hiremath over the phone call during state's Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil's visit to Hiremath's house here.

In the conversation on Patil's phone with speakers on, Siddaramaiah can be heard informing Hiremath about the CID probe and setting up a special court.

"It is a serious offence... setting up a special court will ensure punishment for the accused person."

Hiremath thanked Siddaramaiah on behalf of his family well-wishers and the community for handing over the case to CID and setting up a special court "...ensure there is an order at the earliest and provide us justice," he said, as he also thanked Patil, Home Minister G Parameshwara, local Congress MLA Prasad Abbayya and others for their support.

Replying to this, Siddaramaiah said, "We will ensure it, at the earliest."

In a shocking incident, Neha Hiremath (23), was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College last Thursday. The accused Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled from the scene, was arrested by the police subsequently.

Neha was a first year Master of Computer Application (MCA) student and Fayaz was earlier her classmate.

Siddaramaih on Monday had announced his government has decided to hand over the investigation into the incident to the Crime Investigation Department, and to set up a special court for speedy disposal of the case.

The case of brutal murder, which sparked widespread outrage, has snowballed into a political slugfest between ruling Congress and opposition BJP.

While the ruling party has tried to project it as an incident with personal angle, the saffron party has called it a "love jihad" case and has said it's a testimony of deterioration of law and order in the state.

Earlier, Siddarmaiah's statement that the murder was due to "personal reasons" and Home Minister G Parameshwara's comments that the duo was in love, has elicited sharp reactions from Hiremath and family members and opposition parties.

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