Fujifilm and Dr Reddy’s terminate deal

Japan’s Fujifilm and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories of India have agreed to terminate a Memorandum of Understanding they had signed in July 2011 to form an exclusive partnership in generic drugs for the Japanese market. Originally, the partnership envisaged Fujfilm taking the QC techniques from its core photographic business to assist Dr Reddy’s to expand in generics in Japan. They had since conducted studies on a joint venture to develop and manufacture generics in Japan.

Now, however, Fujifilm has “realigned its long-term growth strategy for the pharmaceutical business”, focusing more on priority fields such as new drugs for cancer, more value-added super-generics, particularly from 2014-15, and “bio-related business”. The two companies will continue to look at other partnership or alliance opportunities in pharmaceuticals, such as APIs, CRO/CMO collaborations and super-generics.

Fujifilm added that Dr Reddy’s is a candidate to make APIs in India for its cancer drug pipeline. The firm intends to expand its contract manufacturing businesses, Fujifilm Fine Chemicals for APIs and Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies in biologics. The latter last year signed a strategic alliance in the contract development and manufacture of antibody-drug conjugates with Piramal Healthcare, the UK-based arm of another Indian giant in contract manufacturing for the pharmaceuticals industry.