Ranbaxy to launch NCE

Ranbaxy has completed the second phase of the clinical trial of a revolutionary anti-malarial drug that could enable it to be the nation’s first pharmaceutical company to launch a New Chemical Entity (NCE) globally. "We are now creating a new chemical entity, a new medicine for malaria. We have just finished phase II clinical trials and we are doing a phase II for the combination of that product," CEO and managing director of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, Malvinder Mohan Singh said.
"Hopefully, if things go fine, by 2011, we shall have a New Chemical Entity (NCE) in the market and will probably be Ind-ia’s first NCE out glob-ally," Singh said in an interview. Together with the challenges of drug resistance, poor health systems, lack of affordability, safe and convenient treatment options, malaria treatment represents one of the largest unmet medical needs, he said. While two to three dozens new molecules are being developed for cardiovascular, arthritis, diabetes and oncology, there has been just two products launched in the last 30 years for malaria, he said.