Yes, Cipla is an Indian company. It is an Indian multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Cipla offers over 1500 pharmaceutical products to treat various kinds of conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, urological ailments, central nervous system disorders, depression, HIV and paediatric conditions. Furthermore, the company also manufactures consumer health products like Nicotex and ActivKids, alongside veterinary products.
Cipla’s stated mission is enabling access to high-quality affordable medicines, with a focus on chronic and infectious diseases. The company owns 55 subsidiaries worldwide, including Cipla USA Inc., Cipla Therapeutics., InvaGen Pharmaceuticals, Cipla Health Limited, Cipla Medpro South Africa Limited and Cipla Pharma Lanka.
| Details | Info |
| Founded | 1935 |
| Founder | Khwaja Abdul Hamied |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| CEO | Umang Vohra |
| Sector | Pharmaceuticals |
Company History
Cipla was founded as Chemical, Industrial and Pharmaceutical Laboratories by Khwaja Abdul Hamied in the year 1935. During the Second World War, the company became a crucial supplier of quinine and vitamin B12 formulations to the Allied forces. In the year 1984, the company shortened its name to Cipla.
In the year 1995, Cipla pioneered the development of the world’s first oral Iron chelator for thalassemia treatment, named Deferiprone. The company co-founded the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance in the year 1999 to push for the development of generic drugs in India. Cipla launched an affordable version of a 3-drug antiretroviral medication to treat AIDS in 2001. In the year 2006, the company developed an affordable version of Tamiflu.
Cipla acquired 51% stakes in South Africa’s Medpro in the year 2013. Its other notable acquisitions include InvaGen Pharmaceuticals and Exelan Pharmaceuticals in the United States during 2015-16 period. In the year 2020, Cipla received DCGI approval for its Covid-19 medication, Favipiravir.
Current Status
Cipla is the third-largest drug producer in India. The company operates 34 manufacturing facilities in India and 13 manufacturing facilities in other countries. Cipla exports its products to over 80 countries. Majority of its sales come from India, followed by United States and South Africa. The company has more than 4000 affiliates in India.
Cipla has a field strength of more than 7500 members covering around 85% of the physicians in India. The company continues to invest strongly in R&D, particularly in biosimilars and digital health tools.
Future Outlook
Cipla is looking to expand in the United States, with a target to achieve more than 10 ANDA approvals annually, particularly in respiratory products and peptides. The company is projected to spend 6-7% of its revenues on research and development in the coming years, with a particular focus on oncology, CNS therapies and biosimilars.