Would like to play a larger role beyond pharmaceuticals alone

Ahmedabad-based Zydus Lifesciences has recently forayed into medical devices, and companion diagnostics. In a virtual interview, Managing Director (MD) SHARVIL PATEL told Sohini Das that medicines are only a part of the solution. Edited excerpts:

- SHARVIL PATEL

You have recently forayed into med-devices. What is your gameplan?

When we looked at our next 10-15 years strategy, we changed our name from a pharmaceutical company to being a life-sciences organisation. We would like to play a larger role beyond pharmaceuticals alone where we can offer better value to patients in a more holistic manner.

Medical devices, companion diagnostics and early diagnostics—these are areas we are looking at. We decided to enter three important areas right now—interventional cardiology, nephrology, and orthopaedics. We have acquired a manufacturing footprint in India for interventional cardiology (stents) and we have partnered with a Brazilian company Braile Biomedica. Braille is one of the few companies which have a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) product, which is a minimally invasive procedure for replacing diseased aortic valves.