Baxter enters into marketing pact with Wockhardt

After acquiring the parenteral intravenous business of Wockhardt Lifesciences, medical products and services major Baxter, now plans to enter into a strategic marketing alliance with Wockhardt. The objective will be to market each other’s products in other business segments in India as well as global markets including Latin American and Europe.

Baxter India is also scouting for acquisitions in India in the biosciences and renal business. The company has mandated Lazard India for this purpose. Company sources said Baxter’s sudden aggression in India follows the $7.5bn parent company identifying India as one of the strategically important markets.

According to sources, the proposed Baxter- Wockhardt deal could involve the former acquiring the marketing rights for a range of Wockhardt products, mainly in the biosciences segment for the Latin American and European markets where the MNC has strong marketing networks. A role reversal is planned for the Indian market, where Wockhardt may act as Baxter’s partner in marketing a range of the MNC’s products.

Health-care over Internet coming of age, slowly

The internet will fundamentally change the way health care is practiced… but we are talking a minimal five year process." Anthony Vendetti, an industry analyst for Gruntal & Co said of the evolutionary rather than revolutionary pace. Sam Karp, chief information officer of the California Healthcare Foundation, agreed with that assessment. "We are at least five years out before in a significant way we are going to see all the benefits that the internet has to offer.. We think it has extraordinary potential and the fact that we are through this hype of the dotcom world, and the collapse of it, doesn’t mean that many of the benefits that the internet offers to healthcare won’t be achieved."

While healthcare web sites try to figure out how to turn profits and make money for investors or risk following those who didn’t into cyberpace oblivion, several companies are embracing ‘e-health’ technology, creating devices to connect doctors and patients.