Natco Pharma may join race

Natco Pharma, the Hyderabad-based genericpharma company, plans to participate in the bids by the government to procure the swine flu drug.

“We have enough capacities to manufacture the drug and, if required, we will ramp up capacities to suit market demand. We will definitely participate in the tender process,” Natco’s COO Rajiv Nannapaneni told DNA.

Currently, Hetero Drug, another Hyderabad-based pharma company, is supplying the drug to the government agencies.

However, sources in Natco feel the margins are likely to remain wafer thin even if the company manages to win the bid. Nannapaneni refused to comment on the margins. “It is a tender process and it would not be right to comment on margins before we get it,” he said.

Hetero, an unlisted entity, is said to be supplying drugs at a rock bottom price, which would be difficult for many companies to match.