MSD forms joint venture with Sun Pharma

MSD (known as Merck in the US and Canada) has entered into a joint venture with India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries to develop, manufacture and commercialise new combinations and formulations of innovative, branded generics in the emerging markets.

"Merck's Emerging Markets strategy is driven by our overarching focus on applying innovation across our business from introducing novel compounds to broadening our focus on innovative branded generics," said Kevin Ali, president, Emerging Markets, Merck/MSD. 

"By combining forces with Sun Pharma, we are complementing our innovative product portfolio with a solid foundation for addressing the diverse needs of patients, physicians and governments across the emerging markets," he continued.

Sun Pharma has established itself as the leading generics manufacturer in India across the cardiology, diabetology, gastroenterology, neurology, ophthalmology orthopaedic and psychiatry therapy areas. The company has a proven track record in innovative product development using Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company's (SPARC) proprietary platform technologies. 

The joint venture, which will be structured through Merck and Sun Pharma's respective subsidiaries, will harness Sun's product development experience and combine it with MSD's clinical development and registration expertise to focus on 'innovative branded generics' designed to enhance convenience for patients in emerging markets. The partnership will be managed by a joint board and a leadership team made up from senior management at both companies.

"This joint venture reinforces our strategy of partnering to launch products using our highly innovative delivery technologies around the world," said Dilip S Shanghvi, chairman and managing director, Sun Pharma. Financial details of the joint venture were not disclosed.

The increasing burden of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hepatitis and cardiovascular disease, combined with an increasing population and economic prosperity, is predicted by experts to result in the emerging markets driving 90 per cent of the world's pharmaceutical growth over the next 10 years. Seventy-five per cent of this growth is expected to come from branded generics.