One of the Most Dedicated and Multi-disciplinary Pharmaceutical Companies: Wockhardt

"The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” – Voltaire

Wockhardt is a global pharmaceutical and biotechnology organisation, providing affordable, high-quality medicines for a healthier world. It is India’s leading research-based global healthcare enterprise with relevance in the fields of Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology and a chain of advanced Super Speciality Hospitals. Wockhardt is a true Indian Multi-National Company with a multi-ethnic workforce of 8600 Wockhardt Associates from 21 different nationalities globally. It has 3 research centres and 12 manufacturing plants, with businesses ranging from the manufacture and marketing of Pharmaceutical and Bio-pharmaceutical formulations, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Vaccines. Wockhardt is a business in transition. New and innovative business models are in motion to make the most of emerging opportunities. A new drive for growth today permeates every mind-set, process and techno-innovation within Wockhardt.

At Wockhardt, they are looking at new ways of thinking, new ways of working and new ways to touch people’s lives. Wockhardt’s Founder Chairman and Group CEO, Dr. Habil Khorakiwala says, “A decade ago, I saw a changing world that I believed would present us with large-scale future opportunities in the field of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. We steered our business model to leverage our research capabilities in providing innovative solutions and by constantly upgrading our world-class manufacturing facilities. We ventured outside India systematically and positioned ourselves mainly in the European and the US markets, which currently generates over 76% of our revenues.”

Headquartered in Mumbai, India, Wockhardt has full-fledged operations in the USA, UK, Ireland and France. It also has its marketing presence in emerging markets of Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam, Philippines, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Lebanon and Kuwait.

Spreading their motto- “Stay well. Do more. Love life”

Research & Development
Wockhardt’s core business is innovation. It uses science and technology to develop medicines and other products that improve the quality of millions of people’s lives through better health. Research is a primary focus at Wockhardt, with numerous initiatives targeting both identified market opportunities and the challenge of unmet medical needs. Addressing these goals, Wockhardt has a dedicated and infrastructurally sophisticated research complex and its investment in research is amongst the highest in the Indian pharmaceutical industry.

Biopharmaceuticals
At the heart of their efforts and investment in this complex, futuristic field is the customer, for whom they develop cost-effective biopharmaceuticals to treat life-threatening ailments. Their pioneering efforts in biotechnology have led to the launch of three successful products in the Indian market – Glaritus (long-acting 24-hr insulin analog), Wosulin (recombinant insulin), Wepox (erythropoietin) and Biovac-B (hepatitis B vaccine).

Glaritus: Wockhardt was the first Company in the world after the innovator to launch this breakthrough product. A recombinant long-acting human insulin analog, glargine (branded Glaritus) is formulated on the world-class E.Coli platform technology. Its upstream and downstream processes match international cGMP norms and Wockhardt became a name to reckon with in the biotechnology space – moving from simple biologicals to complex biologicals.

Wosulin: The first r-DNA insulin developed and manufactured outside the US and Europe. It has been manufactured through the latest yeast based expression system. Additionally the Company’s product basket also includes the patented Wosulin Pen & Cartridge, an automatic insulin delivery device – for the convenience of diabetic patients.

Wepox: Wockhardt’s recombinant erythropoietin, is used in the treatment of anaemia caused by cancer and chronic renal failure. Wepox has been created by mammalian cell culture and meets European Pharmacopoeia standards.

Biovac-B: A specialized WHO GMP certified hepatitis B vaccine.

Biotechnology Park
The Wockhardt Biotech Park was commissioned in September 2004 at Aurangabad, India. It was inaugurated by the then President of India, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam. This state-of-the-art complex comprises six dedicated manufacturing facilities, with small to large scale manufacturing capabilities and is built to comply with US FDA and EMEA cGMP standards.

It has both API & Formulation facilities and the API facilities can cater to different expression systems like Bacterial, Mammalian and Yeast. By leveraging both, the technological edge and cost efficiencies, and also India’s competitive advantage, they will also export products from this biotechnology complex worldwide. The complex has the capacity to cater to 10-15% of the global demand for major biopharmaceuticals.

New drug discovery
Their New Drug Discovery team has developed a number of lead molecules, mainly in the area of anti-infectives; these are currently at various stages of development. Of these molecules, the most advanced of the New Chemical Entities (NCE) is WCK 771, which has commenced Phase II human clinical trials. WCK 771 is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, which has proven effective in treating diverse staphylococcal infections like MRSA and VISA. Other lead molecules at various stages of pre-clinical trials are: WCK 2349, WCK 4873 and WCK 4086.

Meet the Father of Wockhardt

Habil Khorakiwala founded
Wockhardt in 1967. Today, the Wockhardt Group is India’s leading research-based global healthcare enterprise with relevance in the fields of Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Super Speciality Hospitals. An alumnus of Purdue University and Harvard Business School, he is the only non-American in the 125-year history of Purdue University to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate, the highest award that they bestow.

A member of the World Economic Forum, Dr. Khorakiwala has held many senior positions as industry representative, and has been lauded and awarded by various institutions and organisations. As a former president of FICCI, he has met and shared India’s business and economic dynamics with many Presidents, Prime Ministers and Heads-of-State.

He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Centre for Organisation Development in Hyderabad, a non-profit, scientific and industrial research organization and a recognized doctoral research centre. He is also the Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi.

“At Wockhardt, we are looking at new ways of thinking, new ways of working and new ways to touch people’s lives”.