Shantha Biotechnics setting up insulin plant in Hyderabad

Shantha Biotechnics, a Sanofi company, is setting up an insulin manufacturing unit at Muppireddipally near here

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao formally laid the foundation stone for the plant on Thursday.

Shantha’s founder and non-executive Chairman K Varaprasad Reddy said the plant would make all varieties of human insulin with technology transfer from Sanofi’s facility in Frankfurt.

The original ingredient of insulin and related technology would be given to Shantha to make cartridges to be suitable for patients. “India has 65 million diabetics and another 100 million pre-diagnosed persons and hence insulin production is very vital,’’ he said.

In addition to the investment of Rs. 460 crore in the new unit, Sanofi had already invested Rs. 1,000 crore in the existing facility where the insulin-making unit is coming up. Harish Iyer, Chief Executive Officer, Shantha Biotechnics, said the proposed facility would have a capacity to product 60 million ‘Insuman’ cartridges per year within 2-3 years of commercial manufacturing.

While Sanofi’s Frankfurt facility will continue to manufacture human insulin the proposed facility of Shantha would cater to the local demand for Insuman, he added.