Unichem Laboratories Ltd

Unichem Laboratories Limited is an India-based pharmaceutical company, which manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients. The company operates through four divisions, namely Unichem Pharma Division, Unichem Specialities Division, Unisearch Division and Neu-Foreva Division. The company is headquartered in Mumbai with five manufacturing facilities located at Roha in Maharashtra, Goa, Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh and Baddi in Himachal Pradesh. The company's facilities enjoy credible certifications, the Goa plant was approved by UK MHRA, MCC (South Africa), WHO (Geneva) and TGA (Australia). The Baddi plant was approved by UK MHRA and MCC (South Africa). The company received ISO 9001:2000 for all their plants and corporate office. Also, they received ISO 14001:2004 certificates for their formulation plants located at Goa, Ghaziabad and Baddi and the corporate office at Mumbai. Unichem Laboratories Limited was incorporated in 1962. The company was formed by Dr. Prakash Amrut Mody to take over a proprietary business set up in 1944 in Mumbai. They made a foreign collaboration with UCB for bulk drugs and set up first formulation plant at Jogeshwari. In the year 1963, they made a tie up with Uni Sankyo Co-Marketing formulations. In the year 1968, the company set up formulations plant Ghaziabad and in the year 1976, they set up a fine chemicals unit at Roha. In the year 1984, the company entered an agreement with Upjohn and set up Unisearch Ltd. Also, they entered into the anti-biotic segment and launched Ampoxin, an Ampicillin & Claxacillin combination during the year. In the year 1987, the company entered the Animal Health Care business. In the year 1996, Unichem Exports Ltd and Unisearch Ltd were merged with the Unichem Laboratories Ltd. In the year 1997, the company set up new corporate office at Mumbai and in May 1997, the company's state-of-the-art formulation plant at Bardez, Goa was successfully commissioned and commercial production was started. In the year 1998, their plant at Baddi, Himachal Pradesh for Antibiotics was completed. In the year 1999, the company set up modern multipurpose bulk drug plant at Roha. In April 1, 1999, the company launched their new Division, namely Foreva catering to Women's Healthcare. In February 2000, they set up their Molecular Generic Division, which launched 23 new products in the two months of the financial year 1999-2000. Also, the company purchased two brands, namely Emcredil and Candizole-T for a total cost of Rs 132 lakh during the financial year 1999-2000. In the year 2001, the company set up new R&D centre at Mumbai. Also, they set up new Biosciences R&D centre at Bangalore in association with Indian Institute of Sciences for research work in Bio-technology. In April 2002, the company established a joint venture company with Bioglan Generics Ltd, namely Niche Generics Ltd with 60% stake. During the year 2002-03, they divested their animal healthcare division. They upgraded the Ghaziabad plant with an investment of Rs 250 million. Also, they started a representative office in Kiev, Ukraine. In March 2003, Unichem SA Pty Ltd became a subsidiary of the company. In the year 2004, they restructured Unisearch and launched Unisearch CD Division. In the year 2005, the company set up a New Pharma Technology Development Center at Goa. Also, they acquired API manufacturing unit at Pithampur. Further, the company set up their second formulations plant at Baddi and production commenced in April 2005. In May 2005 the company disposed off their old factory at Jogeshwari (West) Mumbai for a consideration of Rs 136.50 million. During the year 2005-06, the company set up a wholly owned subsidiary Unichem Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc, in USA. During the year 2006-07, the company started Unichem Specialities Division and launched 11 new products in various therapeutic segments. In December 20006, they acquired the remaining 60% stake in Niche Generics Ltd of UK and thus Niche Generics Ltd became a wholly owned subsidiary company. During the year 2007-08, the company launched Unikare Division, which caters to Dermatology and Allied therapies. They also launched 27 new products in various therapeutic segments during the year. The company has initiated projects including setting up of a Formulation Plant at Sikkim and the expansion of their existing formulation facility at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh. The Company launched new division focusing on nephrology in cardiology segment during 2009. It commissioned new formulation plant at Sikkim, which is a solid oral dosage form facility, commissioned a new unit at Baddi for manufacturing all dosage forms of Cephalosporin and launched 19 new products during 2010. In 2011, the Company launched 22 new brands in various in various therapeutic segments. 4 new brands were launched in Cardiac Care, 3 in Dermatology and 2 in Neuropsychiatry amongst others. During year 2011-12, a Scheme of Arrangement between AVM Capital Services Private Limited, Chevy Capital Services Private Limited, PM Capital Services Private Limited, Pranit Trading Private Limited and Viramrut Trading Private Limited and Unichem Laboratories Limited was approved by the Hon'ble High Court vide Order dated July 12, 2012 and as a result, the Scheme became effective on August 6, 2012. The Company incorporated a new subsidiary in Ireland taking the total number of subsidiaries to 5 in March, 2012. In 2013, the Company completed dosage formulations facility at SEZ Pithampur and made agreement to sell the same to Mylan Laboratories Limited. During the year 2015, Synchron Research Private Limited became an Associate of Company. The Company, in December 2017, transferred its business of manufacture, sale, marketing and distribution of domestic formulations in India and Nepal, and the manufacturing facility at Sikkim together with all assets and liabilities through slump sale on a going concern basis, to Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited on mutually agreed terms and conditions. In November 2018, the Company had made a strategic investment in two Hyderabad based Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) manufacturing company namely Optimus Drugs Private Limited (ODPL) and Optrix Laboratories Limited for a total consideration of Rs 12,000.62 Lakhs by acquiring 19.99% of the issued and paid-up share capital of each of the said companies. Optrix was later merged into ODPL with no change in the overall shareholdings of the Company in the merged entity. Unichem held 19.99% of the equity share capital of ODPL. The Company incorporated a Wholly Owned Subsidiary in China on June 27, 2019 under the name 'Younikaimo Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Private Limited' in 2020. During the year 2023-24, Ipca Laboratories Limited acquired 2,35,01,440 fully paid-up equity shares of Rs 2/- each, constituting 33.38% of the fully diluted voting share capital of the Company from Dr. Prakash A. Mody, Promoter & Director. On 21st September, 2023, Ipca Laboratories Limited further acquired an aggregate 1,35,79,571 equity shares at Rs 440 per equity share pursuant to the open offer made by Ipca Laboratories Limited to the public shareholders of the Company in terms of the SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011. Consequently, the aggregate holding of Ipca Laboratories Limited in the Company as on 31st March, 2024 stood 3,70,81,011 equity shares of the Company representing 52.67% of the total paid-up equity share capital of the Company. Thus, Ipca Laboratories Limited acquired majority control over the Company and accordingly, the Company became a subsidiary of Ipca Laboratories Limited.