Cipla, originally founded as The Chemical, Industrial & Pharmaceutical Laboratories is a prominent Indian pharmaceutical company, best-known outside its home country for producing low-cost anti-AIDS drugs for HIV-positive patients in developing countries. Cipla makes drugs to treat cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, weight control, depression and many other health conditions, and its products are distributed in more than 180 countries worldwide. Among the hundreds of generic medications it produces for international distribution are atorvastatin, amlopidine, fluoxetine, venlafaxine hydrochloride and metformin.

By 2007, Cipla became the world’s largest manufacturer of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to fight HIV/AIDS, as measured by units produced and distributed (multinational brand-name drugs are much more expensive, so in money terms Cipla medicines are probably somewhere down the list). Roughly 40% of HIV/AIDS patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy worldwide take Cipla drugs. The company is ranked third in Generic market share statistics in South African Private Sector.

Because Indian law from 1972 has allowed no (end-product) patents on drugs, and provided for compulsory licensing, Cipla was able to manufacture medicines which enjoy patent monopoly in certain other countries (particularly those where large, multinational pharmaceutical companies are based). By doing so, as well as by making an executive decision not to make profits on AIDS medication, Cipla reduced the cost of providing antiretrovirals to AIDS patients from $12,000 and beyond (monopoly prices charged by international pharma conglomerates) down to around $300 per year. Today they are able to do so for under $150 per patient per year. While this sum remains out of reach for many millions of people in Third World countries, government and charitable sources often are in a position to make up the difference for destitute patients.

The customary treatment of AIDS consists of a cocktail of three drugs. Cipla produces an all-in-one pill called Triomune which contains all three substances (Lamivudine, stavudine and Nevirapine), something difficult elsewhere because the three patents are held by different companies. One more popular fixed dose combination is there, with the name Duovir-N. This contains Lamivudine, Zidovudine and Nevirapine.

Exports for the year 2008 amounted to more than Rs. 21,000 million. Cipla exports raw materials, intermediates, prescription drugs, OTC products and veterinary products. Cipla also offers technology for products and processes. Technical know-how/fees received during the year 2007-08 amounted to about Rs. 1500 million.

Cipla’s manufacturing facilities have been approved by the following regulatory authorities:

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USA
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), UK
• Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Australia
• Medicines Control Council (MCC), South Africa
• National Institute of Pharmacy (NIP), Hungary
• Pharamaceutical Inspection Convention (PIC), Germany
• World Health Organisation (WHO) Department of Health, Canada
• State Institute for the Control of Drugs, Slovak Republic ANVISA, Brazil

Corporate office:

Cipla Ltd.
Mumbai Central
Mumbai – 400 008
India

Tel: +91-22-23082891, 23095521
Fax: +91-22-23070013, 23070393

http://www.cipla.com