Natco Pharma has around 20 key 'Para IV' products in the pipeline out of which some are expected to be launched in due course.
 

Para IV products are the product for which the company first needs to submit a completed ANDA (Abbreviated New Drug Application) and get marketing exclusivity for 180 days. This gives benefit to the manufacturers.
 

According to norms set by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), a company can get approval from FDA to market a generic drug before the expiration of a patent relating to the brand name upon which the generic is based.

 

Natco, a Hyderabad-based company, has Para IV products such as Nexavar (brand) molecule Sorafenib (Cancer/Kidney & Liver), Revlimid (brand) molecule Lenalidomide (Cancer/Multiple Myeloma), Ibruvica (brand) molecule Ibrutinib (Cancer/Leukaemia), Sovaldi (brand) molecule Sofosbuvir (Anti‐Viral/Hep-C), Tarceva (brand) molecule Erlotinib (Cancer/NSCLC & Pancreatic) and Aubagio brand molecule Teriflunomide (CNS/Multiple Sclerosis), as per information given for investors. According to the company, "In the US market, the focus will be on the complex generics". The focus of these products is mainly on the oncology segments.
 

The company has also been focusing on the domestic oncology segment and enjoys market leadership in sales of branded oncology medicines in India. The products range has 29 products in last financial year from 6 in 2003. The revenue has seen a compounded annual growth rate of 16 per cent over last four years and stood at Rs. 396.8 crore (US$ 56.77 million) in FY19.
 

The company has increased its spend on research and development from 6.8 per cent in FY16 to 9.3 per cent in FY19. It has over 442 scientists and around 40 R&D laboratories in two research facilities.

 

Although, the company has posted its first quarter report with a decreased in net profit of 21 per cent at Rs. 143 crore (US$ 20.46 million) and the total revenue declined 10.65 per cent at Rs. 513 crores (US$ 73.40 million) compared to year-ago period.