Sanofi invests $25.4M in Goa R&D center

Leading French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis has opened its first Asian pharmaceutical development facility in the Indian state of Goa. The investment in the Goa Development Center, at some 1.0 billion rupees ($25.4 million), represents the group's single largest investment in India to date and is testament to its strategy to expand its presence and accelerate growth both in India and in Asia, said the company.

As Sanofi-Aventis' first Asian hub for analytical and pharmaceutical formulation development, the 2,600 square meters GDC will have the capacity to develop up to 12 pharmaceutical compounds per year. Located close to the group's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Goa, it will play a pivotal role in allowing the company to introduce new, quality medicines rapidly both in the Asia Pacific and global marketplace, the firm said.

"The GDC will be a cornerstone of our success in Asia and should enable us to leverage our formulation development efforts worldwide," noted Olivier Charmeil, senior vice president, Asia Pacific.