Big Pharma interest beyond China is a boon for India

Drawing interest: A view inside Sai Life Sciences’ manufacturing facility in Bindar, Karnataka, India. The company declines to comment on profit growth but says sales have grown 25% to 30% in recent years. — Reuters

DRUGMAKERS are seeking to limit their reliance on Chinese contractors who produce drugs used in clinical trials and early-stage manufacturing, a move that is benefiting rivals in India, according to interviews with 10 industry executives and experts.

China has for nearly 20 years been the preferred location for a range of pharmaceutical research and manufacturing services due to the low cost and speed offered by contract drugmakers there.