Biocon Partners with Tabuk Pharma to Commercialise GLP-1 Products in the Middle East

Key takeaways from the Biocoin and Tabuk Pharma Agreement

• Biocon Limited has signed a licensing and supply agreement with Tabuk Pharmaceuticals to commercialise its GLP-1 products for diabetes and chronic weight management in the Middle East.
• Biocon will develop and manufacture the products, while Tabuk Pharmaceuticals will handle marketing, registration, import, and promotion in select Middle Eastern countries.
• The agreement includes provisions to expand into other GLP-1 products and an option for tech transfer to enable localised manufacturing in the future.

GLP-1 products are aimed at treating diabetes and chronic weight management in select countries within the Middle East region. 

Biocon will handle the development and manufacturing of the products, while Tabuk Pharmaceuticals will be responsible for marketing authorisation, registration, import, and promotion. The agreement also includes potential expansion to other GLP products, with an option for tech transfer for localised manufacturing in the future.

About GLP-1 Products 

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications are used to regulate blood sugar levels and aid in weight loss by enhancing insulin production, reducing glucagon secretion, and slowing gastric emptying. These physiological hormones improve glycaemic control and have been vital in managing diabetes.

This collaboration marks a significant step in improving access to affordable therapies for chronic conditions in the Middle East.

Commenting on the agreement, Siddharth Mittal, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Biocon Ltd, said, “I am pleased to expand our partnership with Tabuk Pharmaceuticals, which paves the way for our vertically integrated, complex GLP1 formulations entry into Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region. The partnership is further validation of our concerted focus on GLPs and Peptides as future growth drivers. This is another important milestone for Biocon, reflecting our commitment to providing patients around the globe with affordable medications, by establishing a strong portfolio of products, either directly or through strategic partnerships.” 

Ismail Shehadah, Chief Executive Officer of Tabuk Pharmaceuticals, said, “We are excited to announce our partnership with Biocon that will enable us to deliver unique health solutions aimed at enhancing the well-being of people in Saudi Arabia and other countries we operate in. We are confident that this partnership supports our efforts to manufacture and localize a range of GLP-1 products in the region and strengthen our market leading position in the area of diabetes medications, in line with our strategy. This also stands as a commitment from our side to support the 2030 vision of Saudi Arabia through localizing specialty pharmaceutical products in the Kingdom.” 

About Biocon Limited 

Biocon Limited, listed on the stock exchange in 2004, is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on innovation. The company is dedicated to making advanced therapies for chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases more accessible and affordable. Biocon has introduced cutting-edge biologics, biosimilars, and small-molecule APIs in India and globally, including generic drugs in the U.S. and Europe. It is also working on developing new treatments in the field of immunotherapy. 

About Tabuk Pharmaceuticals 

Tabuk Pharmaceuticals, a prominent pharmaceutical company in Saudi Arabia, operates throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The company develops, manufactures, and distributes branded generic medicines and partners with international pharmaceutical companies to produce high-quality medicines at its facilities in Saudi Arabia. With over 2,400 employees, Tabuk Pharmaceuticals serves patients in 17 MENA countries and has plans to expand its presence further. Its manufacturing plants are located in Tabuk, Dammam, Sudan, and Algeria.

Key Takeaways from EaseMyTrip Collaboration with PhonePe: 

• EaseMyTrip collaborates with PhonePe to launch the hotel booking segment. 
• With this partnership, the hotel deals and offers become exclusive, and are special for the PhonePe users, thereby adding immense value to their booking.
• Activities and Cabs will be inducted into the platform, while an attempt is made to provide the entire travel booking experience within the PhonePe application.
• EaseMyTrip Hotels will allow best price guarantees, flexibility in booking, and no charge cancellations so that the user benefits are maximised.
• The alliance would make travelling easier for millions of PhonePe users by integrating travel services under one roof.

PhonePe users would get exclusive access to an extremely wide range of hotel deals and offers, besides getting the option of hotel bookings. Other options like Activities and Cabs are also planned to be added soon, thereby completing the travel booking experience on PhonePe.

EaseMyTrip Hotels will now offer ease of design, competitive prices, and flexibility of booking with a free cancellation facility to PhonePe users.

This partnership is part of a larger strategy to enhance travel booking for millions of Indian PhonePe users. The EaseMyTrip-PhonePe partnership unites travel expertise and adds the depth of a comprehensive user base, as it plans to make travel planning easier for customers, where all the services can be availed through a single application.

Rikant Pittie, Co-Founder of EaseMyTrip said, “This partnership is a significant step in making travel more accessible and convenient for millions of users across India.” 

Commenting on the partnership, Sonika Chandra, Chief Business Office - Consumer Payments, PhonePe said, “We are excited to partner with EaseMyTrip to create a differentiated and seamless hotel booking experience for our users with the best deals on our platform.”

About EaseMyTrip:

EaseMyTrip is one of the largest online travel platforms in India for booking air tickets as was recently reported by Crisil in February 2021. The profits have surged at 47% from FY20 to FY24. The company had started with no external funding and hence was profitable since day one. EaseMyTrip's travel service range includes air tickets, hotel bookings, holiday packages, rail and bus tickets, and a number of value-added services. Users can book without convenience fees and more than 400 airlines along with over 2 million hotels across train, bus, and taxi services in major Indian cities. Founded in 2008, EaseMyTrip has offices spread across many Indian cities and also international offices in the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the UAE, UK, USA, and New Zealand.

About PhonePe Group:

PhonePe Group is one of the leading fintech companies in India that has, since August 2016, been running a mobile app for digital payments. The app became the country's top consumer payments app within eight years of history, with over 560 million registered users and over 40 million merchant partners. It processes over 280 million transactions daily, which amounts to over $1.5 trillion annually. From its foray into digital payments, PhonePe has ventured into financial services that include insurance and lending, as well as new consumer tech ventures such as hyperlocal e-commerce and India's first localised app store. Today, it aims to make every Indian have access to better money and services.

Key Takeaways from Krsnaa Diagnostics and Apulki Healthcare Partnership:

• Krsnaa Diagnostics has joined hands with Apulki Healthcare in an investment tie-up to form cancer and cardiac care hospitals in India.
• Through more than 30 years of being an exclusive diagnostics partner for Apulki healthcare, Krsnaa has consolidated its stance in the oncology and cardiac diagnostics market.
• The partnership will begin with the two 125 plus bed-capacity hospitals in Pune and Mumbai, then later expand into other metropolitan cities with more hospitals.
• Krsnaa and Apulki will offer round-the-clock comprehensive diagnostic services including MRI, PET CT, Cardiac CT, and advance pathology.
• A collaboration to deliver highest international standards in diagnostics for better prognosis with regard to early detection, treatment accuracy, and survival rates for cancer and cardiac patients.

As part of this, Krsnaa diagnostics has been chosen as the exclusive diagnostics partner for over 30 years for all the cancer and cardiac hospitals of Apulki. This partnership would initiate in the first phase two hospitals in the regions of Pune and Mumbai with over 125 beds in every hospital, and more hospitals are to be initiated in other metropolitan regions.

Krsnaa and Apulki will be offering services 24/7 with MRI, PET CT, Cardiac CT, and Advanced Pathology. This partnership will work toward seamless, world-class diagnostic solutions for patients being treated for both cancer and the cardiac clinical treatments at large, to enhance early detection and treatment accuracy and survival through timely and precise diagnoses.

Commenting on the development, Kinjal Babariya, Director of Apulki Healthcare, said, “This powerful collaboration ensures we are uniquely poised to capitalize on opportunities faster and more efficiently than any other player in the market. With this partnership we are eliminating the barriers of fragmented healthcare by integrating diagnostics and treatment under one roof.”

About Krsnaa Diagnostics Limited:

Krsnaa Diagnostics Limited is India's fastest-growing provider of diagnostic services in Radiology and Pathology having grown from two radiology centers in 2011 to well over 2,900 centers across 18 states and union territories. By focusing on giving quality diagnostics at accessible and affordable costs, Krsnaa has been able to offer clinical excellence through teleradiology that would support evidence-based treatment nationwide. They utilize state-of-the-art technology, including a cloud-based PACS workflow, to deliver fast, accurate reports from highly qualified experts all over the world. The company offers excellent service with quick turnaround of reports and convenient consultations while being a first CAP-accredited lab in India as a public-private partnership and possessing the largest NABH-accredited tele-radiology hub in Pune.

Key Takeaways from Thomas Cook and SOTC Partnership with Cricket Australia:

• Thomas Cook India Ltd has announced its partnership with SOTC Travel to be the exclusive holiday package provider for Cricket Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy FY25.
• The five Test match series will start from November 22, 2024 and end on January 7, 2025. In this, the two crucial games to be played here are the ones at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as well as the Gabba in Brisbane.
• Thomas Cook and SOTC will develop marketing promotions along with the booking services that will have match tickets and travel arrangements for all kinds of target audiences .
• Group and tour packages will be structured according to different locations, including Sydney, Cairns, Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne, and Adelaide.

Other significant matches that will feature include a Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, games at the Gabba in Brisbane, and Sydney Cricket Ground.

Thomas Cook and SOTC would develop products, marketing promotions, and booking services comprising match tickets and other forms of travel to cater for diversified audiences.

Thomas Cook and SOTC have packaged various group and customised tour packages around the five Test matches. These are definitely going to be in hot demand, primarily across Sydney, Cairns, Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne, and Adelaide.

About Thomas Cook India Limited:

Thomas Cook (India) Limited (TCIL), founded in 1881, is a leading travel company in India, offering foreign exchange, corporate travel, MICE, leisure travel, visa services, and more. The group operates several strong brands worldwide and has a wide network across 28 countries on five continents.

TCIL has been rewarding its excellence in travel industry MICE recognition, risk management, and innovation. New accolades include winning the MICE Travel Agency award at the Economic Times Awards 2024 and winning Best Tour Operator Award at India Travel Awards North 2023.

The rating firm, CRISIL, has given its rating on the strong financial stability of TCIL, affirming its long-term rating at 'CRISIL AA-/Positive' and a short-term rating of 'CRISIL A1+'.

About SOTC Travel Limited:

SOTC Travel Limited is a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings but operates under its Indian-listed parent company, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, TCIL. SOTC is one of the major travel and tourism companies which provide services in Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel, as well as Business Travel. Established in 1949, SOTC has a legacy of 75 years and has escorted millions of travellers to destinations across the globe. The company takes immense pride in knowing that it understands the requirements of Indian travellers better than anybody else.