Laurus Labs Ltd.

New Delhi: India's cell and gene therapy pioneer ImmunoAct has turned profitable in its first full year of operations, a rare feat in the country's emerging startup landscape where research-based pharma enterprises encounter serious scale and cash flow challenges. ImmunoACT, in which Hyderabad-based drugmaker Laurus Labs has roughly 34% equity stake, saw revenues of ₹62 crore with a profit before tax of ₹12 crore in FY25, according to sources. The year before, ImmunoAct had revenues of ₹11 crore. Founded by immunologist Rahul Purwar in 2013, ImmunoACT was spun off from the department of bioengineering department of IIT Bombay in 2018. ImmunoACT's NexCAR19 is the first indigenously developed breakthrough cancer CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) therapy approved by India's central drug regulatory agency in October 2023. NexCAR19 was formally launched in India in April 2024 at a price ~90% cheaper than its US and European counterparts like Novartis and Gilead, making it far more affordable for India and low-and-middle income countries, on its potential approval. So far, the therapy has been infused in over 350 patients across 70 hospitals in India. In CAR-T treatment, the patient's immune cells are extracted and through a maze of re-engineering processes infused back to recognize and kill cancer cells, giving a longer remission to patients as compared to the conventional options like immunotherapy or bone marrow transplants. The therapy is used when all other options are exhausted. Each CAR-T dose (one-and-done infusion) costs around ₹30 lakh, which was initially priced at ₹42 lakh, and is expected to see a further decline as demand picks up. Meanwhile, ImmunoACT has recently appointed former managing director of Roche India V Simpson Immanuel as its strategic advisor. Rahul Purwar added, "We needed someone who understands not just the commercial landscape, but also the nuances of innovation, patient access, and global expansion." Earlier this year, Immuneel Therapeutics, backed by leading names like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and globally renowned oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee secured approval for Qartemi, its cell therapy for adult B-cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, in India. Companies like Cipla , Dr Reddy's Labs and Bharat Biotech are investing heavily in new CAR-Ts. Globally, CAR-Ts are at the frontiers of a range of cancer treatments, attracting billions of dollars in investments from large drugmakers. The market for such therapies is expected to touch $134 billion by 2034 from around $10 billion at present. By Vikas Dandekar ,

New Delhi: Indian Contract Research and Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CRDMOs) are gaining momentum as global pharmaceutical companies expand operations geographically, according to a report by Jefferies. Indian firms specializing in small molecule development are well-positioned to capitalize on this trend. The report identified key players, including Piramal Pharma, Syngene, Laurus Labs, Cohance, and Gland Pharma, as beneficiaries of this shift. However, it noted that many projects are still in clinical stages, leading to uneven short-term growth. Demand for antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) services is on the rise, with Indian CRDMOs exploring opportunities in this area. Additionally, GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and obesity are expected to become a significant growth driver for generic manufacturers starting in 2026. Key updates from major players: Piramal Pharma aims for a 13-15% CAGR in sales over the next five years, despite temporary destocking challenges. Syngene expects low growth in FY26 due to destocking but anticipates a double-digit rebound in subsequent years. Laurus Labs is managing seven active global projects, with 70-80% of its CDMO sales coming from commercial molecules. Gland Pharma is increasing its GLP-1 cartridge capacity from 40 million to 140 million units by next year. While short-term hurdles remain, the report predicts long-term momentum for Indian CRDMOs as they continue to expand capabilities and attract global clients.

New Delhi: Indian CRDMOs (Contract Research and Development and Manufacturing Organizations) are seeing growing interest from global pharmaceutical companies , according to a recent report by Jefferies. The report highlighted that Big Pharma companies are increasingly diversifying their manufacturing and research operations geographically, and Indian companies with expertise in small molecule development are well placed to benefit. It said "Big Pharma is diversifying geographically, benefiting Indian CRDMOs with small molecule expertise". The report highlighted some major pharma companies (Including Piramal Pharma , Syngene , Laurus Labs , Cohance, Gland Pharma). The report said that these companies highlighted that many of the ongoing projects are still in the clinical stages, so growth may be uneven. There is also a rising demand for antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)-related CDMO services, and Indian companies are exploring opportunities in that space. The report also mentioned that GLP-1, a class of diabetes and obesity drugs, could become an important growth driver for generic CMOs from 2026. Piramal Pharma is targeting 13-15 per cent CAGR in sales over the next 4-5 years in its India consumer health and complex hospital generics businesses. While the company expects subdued sales from its largest CDMO product in FY26 due to destocking, overall segment revenue is likely to remain flat due to better utilisation at overseas facilities and a recovery expected in FY27. Syngene's growth in FY26 is expected to be in the mid-single digits, mainly due to destocking of Librela, its largest product. The company expects growth to pick up to low double digits after that. Its new management, led by Peter Bains, is focusing on growth and acquiring US biologics capacities. However, the overseas unit will have lower margins and may take time to break even. Laurus is currently handling seven active projects from global pharma clients, which account for 50-60 per cent of its new projects in the past two years. About 70-80 per cent of the company's CDMO division sales come from commercial molecules. Many of the ongoing projects involve breakthrough therapies that typically have lower failure rates. The company has invested Rs 4 billion in animal health and Rs 1.5 billion in AgChem, with another Rs 1 billion planned for animal health. It aims to achieve peak sales of 1.5 times the capex from these investments by FY28-29. Cohance is recovering from the impact of destocking that affected its AgChem and SpecChem business over the past 18 months. The company is planning to launch a new product in the third quarter of FY26 and bring in new customers in the division. Gland Pharma is expanding its GLP-1 cartridge fill-finish capacity from 40 million to 140 million units by the end of next year. The company's new bulk line will be flexible for use across both GLP-1 and insulin products. The report outlined that while near-term growth may be uneven due to destocking, most companies expect a strong rebound and long-term momentum.