Cipla in talks with GSK and Teva to provide generic drugs

Indian pharmaceutical company Cipla is negotiating with multinational and generic drug companies including GlaxoSmithKline, or GSK, a UK-based pharmaceutical company, and Teva, an Israeli pharmaceutical company, to provide generic drugs, according to Reuters.

Cipla was previously in talks with numerous pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer to supply generic drugs. Cipla said it was in talks with at least two Japanese companies for in-licensing agreements, which help foreign companies to sell their products through the company.

Cipla is reportedly planning to launch about 50 to 100 different products in 2010, including veterinary medicines and agrochemicals.

Reuters has quoted, Yusuf Hamied, managing director of Cipla, as saying: "Cipla has been in negotiations with GSK for six months. It may be specifically for one or two products - it is not a down-the-line drug deal. There was 'not a chance' that Cipla was in talks to sell a stake to a partner company."