India’s Biocon Breaks Into Global Top 10 Biotech List

MUMBAI - Indian biotech firm Biocon has emerged as the seventh largest employer among the top global biotech companies, according to a survey released by Med Ad News.

Biocon employed more than 3,000 people in 2007, up from 2,543 in 2006, Med Ad News reported. Biocon is the only Asian company to break into the top 10 of the largest employers.

By having that many staffers on its rolls, Biocon edged ahead of Gilead, Cephalon and Amylin - all U.S.-based companies - but still trailed established players like Biogen Idec, CSL and Genzyme.

Amgen ranks as the top employer among biotech companies with 17,500 people, though the number has dropped from 20,100 employees in 2006, the survey said.

"It is a matter of immense pride for Biocon to be ranked amongst the top global league of biotech companies," Biocon Chairman Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said. "This is a validation of our consistent effort at attaining global leadership and also highlights the true potential of this sector in a country like India. This industry will be a key driver in India's progress towards economic development," the Biocon chairman added.

Biocon, together with two of its subsidiaries, Syngene and Clinigene, offers an integrated biopharmaceuticals platform. Syngene and Clinigene are its contract research and clinical research outfits, respectively.

Biocon recently acquired a majority stake in German pharmaceutical company AxiCorp (Also see "India’s Biocon Buys 70 Percent Stake In German Drug Firm AxiCorp GmbH" - Scrip, 11 Feb, 2008.). In 2006, Biocon marketed India's first indigenously produced monoclonal antibody targeted at head and neck cancer branded BIOMAb-EGFR .

Biocon recently presented encouraging early Phase II clinical data for oral insulin drug IN 105 to treat type 2 diabetes (Also see "India’s Biocon Moves Forward With Oral Insulin After Encouraging Phase II Results" - Scrip, 8 Sep, 2008.).

- Vikas Dandekar ([email protected])