Cipla announces joint venture in the United States with Kemwell Biopharma and Manipal Education & Medical Group for global development and commercialisation of innovative Cell therapy products

WARREN, N.J., Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cipla (EU) Limited, UK a wholly owned subsidiary of Cipla Limited (BSE:500087; NSE: Cipla EQ], hereinafter referred to as Cipla has announced a strategic collaboration with Kemwell Biopharma Private Limited (through its subsidiary Kemwell Biopharma UK Limited) and Manipal Education & Medical Group (through its subsidiary MNI Ventures, Mauritius) to incorporate a joint venture in the United States. The primary goal of this joint venture is to develop and commercialise novel Cell therapy products for major unmet medical needs in the United States, Japan, and EU regions.

Cipla (EU) Limited will secure a 35.2% stake in the joint venture company. By capitalizing on Cipla's leadership in product development and commercialisation and aligning with Kemwell's expertise in biologics and Manipal's expertise in healthcare delivery, this strategic collaboration is aimed at expediting development, manufacturing, licensing, import and export of cutting-edge Cell therapy products to cater to patients globally.

Commenting on this development, Umang Vohra, Managing Director & Global Chief Executive Officer, Cipla, said, "This joint venture reinforces our concerted efforts to move up the innovation curve and pioneer transformative treatments in the areas of stem cell and CAR T-cell therapies, enabled by advances in biotech, mRNA and cell-engineering research, that can make a difference to patient lives globally. As we steer Cipla into the future and lead with purpose, our partnership with Kemwell and Manipal Group will be integral in realising these advancements."

Commenting on the tie up, Dr Ranjan Pai, Chairman, Manipal Education & Medical Group, said, "We are very happy to partner with Cipla and Kemwell in bringing the next generation of biological therapies to address unmet medical needs globally. Physicians will have accessible, safe, and clinically effective Cell therapies in their hand to fight against many serious indications. We believe that Cell therapy products will be a game-changer in offering an advanced therapeutic treatment for millions of patients suffering with painful diseases." 

Anurag Bagaria, Chairman and CEO, Kemwell added "We believe that Cell therapies will become a major branch of medical treatment and will become a standard of care for challenging diseases. Kemwell has built a world-class cGMP facility in Bangalore and made India an emerging hub for cell therapy development and manufacturing. The synergistic combinations of Cipla, Manipal and Kemwell will accelerate the development of novel cell-based products for patients and transform the new JV into a global player in cell therapeutics."

This marks the second joint venture between Cipla and Kemwell Biopharma, following the incorporation of Aspergen Inc., USA in 2022 for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of biosimilars for global markets. Aspergen Inc. is actively developing two projects, with several others under evaluation, accelerating Cipla's global lung leadership agenda and strengthening the company's position in the biosimilar market for long-term, diversified growth.

About Cipla

Established in 1935, Cipla is a global pharmaceutical company focused on agile and sustainable growth, complex generics, and deepening portfolio in our home markets of India, South Africa, North America, and key regulated and emerging markets. Our strengths in the respiratory, anti-retroviral, urology, cardiology, anti-infective and CNS segments are well-known. Our 47 manufacturing sites around the world produce 50+ dosage forms and 1,500+ products using cutting-edge technology platforms to cater to our 86 markets. Cipla is the 3rd largest in pharma in India (IQVIA MAT Oct'23), 3^rd largest in the pharma private market in South Africa (IQVIA MAT Oct'23), and is among the most dispensed generic players in the U.S. For over eight decades, making a difference to patients has inspired every aspect of Cipla's work. Our paradigm-changing offer of a triple anti-retroviral therapy in HIV/AIDS at less than a dollar a day in Africa in 2001 is widely acknowledged as having contributed to bringing inclusiveness, accessibility, and affordability to the centre of the HIV movement. A responsible corporate citizen, Cipla's humanitarian approach to healthcare in pursuit of its purpose of 'Caring for Life' and deep-rooted community links wherever it is present make it a partner of choice to global health bodies, peers, and all stakeholders.

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About Kemwell: 

Kemwell is a leading biologics CDMO in Asia which provides services to global biopharmaceutical organizations for both clinical and commercial needs. Kemwell, located in Bangalore, India provides customers with high quality and cost-effective access for end to-end services in development and manufacturing of mammalian cell culture-based products. Kemwell's facilities consists of cGMP drug substance manufacturing suites with over 5000L bioreactor capacity, sterile fill and finish line for cGMP drug product manufacturing and development laboratories to support process and analytical development for protein therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies, bi-specific antibodies, and fusion proteins. Kemwell is currently manufacturing commercial drug substance, drug product and has worked on many R&D projects to support its customers during the development and clinical phase for both novel biologics and biosimilars. For more information, please visit www.kemwellbiopharma.com.

About Manipal Education & Medical Group:

Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) is one of the leaders in the country, in the field of education, healthcare, research and insurance services, with a global footprint. MEMG, through its subsidiaries, provides education and healthcare services in India and internationally. It manages universities and professional institutions, including medical colleges, teaching hospitals, and medical science and technology institutions through which it provides bachelor's and master's degree programs in various streams. The company also manages healthcare institutions, super-specialty care hospitals, rural maternity, and child welfare homes. Manipal Hospitals provides affordable care under a multispecialty health delivery framework and further extend it to homecare. Group's Health Insurance offers comprehensive customised health insurance solutions that helps to safeguard patient's health. Group's research arm – Stempeutics Research develops innovative stem cell products by nurturing cutting edge research and clinical applications through dedicated efforts of its highly qualified team.

SOURCE Cipla