Rank 10

Syngene International

Customized services

From early stage discovery and process development through to cGMP manufacturing, Syngene provides customized R&D services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on a strong platform of confidentiality and intellectual property protection.

Syngene International (Syngene), a subsidiary of the biopharma major, Biocon is an internationally reputed custom research company with multi-disciplinary skills in synthetic chemistry and molecular biology. The company clocked revenues of Rs 160 crore in 2007-2008. It conducts high value R&D in early stage drug discovery and development for a diverse global clientele. From early stage discovery and process development through to cGMP manufacturing, Syngene provides customized R&D services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on a strong platform of confidentiality and intellectual property protection. Established in 1994, Syngene was India's first custom research organization to receive special export status by the Government of India.

"We are among India's foremost integrated custom research service providers. Our considerable scientific talent pool and state-of-the-art R&D and production facilities enable us to enhance productivity and accelerate delivery of all projects with the highest degree of professionalism. Proprietary technologies and superior knowledge-driven concepts propel our reputation as a 'full-service research hub'. Leveraging India's powerful value advantage while continuing to deliver high levels of innovation, we remain compelling collaborators for advanced, cost-effective custom research services," said Goutam Das, COO, Syngene.

Biocon plans to list Syngene International in the next two years, post demerger. "The listing will not be immediate but over a period of time in the next two years. The company has to grow first. We are yet to take a call on this. Post the listing in India, we might look at an overseas listing," informed Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CMD, Biocon.

The company has developed skills in synthetic chemistry and molecular biology, process chemistry and cell line services. The company is also leveraging the convergence of IT and biotech.

In early 2007, the company entered into a research partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS). Through this partnership, the company is to provide R&D services for discovery and early drug development to BMS. Under the terms of the agreement, Syngene partners with BMS through a dedicated research facility at Biocon Park in Bangalore. The facility is to house 400 scientists to help advance BMS' discovery and early drug development and also significantly increase the scope of its existing relationship with Syngene to further develop integrated capabilities in India.

Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw added, "Our research services business have grown by 29 percent to Rs176 crore from Rs136 crore and this of course contributes to about 16 percent of our overall revenues. Albeit at a profit level, I think we have seen this take a little bit of a hit in terms of Syngene's profitability. This is largely because of the impact of the depreciation in the US Dollar and the expenses that we have had to incur for ramping up our Syngene capabilities in anticipation of some big contracts that we have seen coming in, especially the BMS contract".