Bharat Serums to market B Braun’s products in India

Mumbai-based Bharat Serums and Vaccines (BSV) has entered into a three-year marketing agreement with Germany-based medical products company B Brtaun to market the latter’s range of selected IV solutions in India, except the seven north eastern states. The two companies have also signed a MoU to set up a network of approximately 50 dialysis centres in India.

Bharat Serums will kick-start the alliance with the introduction of Gelofusine in April 2002. Gelofusine is a plasma volume expander used in all types of hypovolaemia, Nilesh Ganjwala, finance director, BSV Group of Companies told. "The launch of Gelofusine will be followed by 3-4 more products this year. These would include Braun’s oncology range (cancer supplements) and high value lipids, he revealed. The products will be promoted through the Bharat Serums’s Plasma Pharma division. The division has field strength of 225 representatives. B Braun will, however, continue to co-market the products at select institutions in the country as per the understanding.

Gelufusine is a Rs.3 crore brand. Bharat Serums is expecting to clock over Rs.5.5 crore sales from Braun’s product range in the first year of operations, Ganjwala added. Further, the two companies have also agreed to set up a nationwide network of 50 specialised dialysis centres in the next couple of years. The first such centre is expected to come up in Mumbai within the next three months, Ganjwala informed. As per the MoU, BSV will manage the marketing and operations of dialysis centers, while B Braun will provide equipment and maintenance for the same. The two companies are also exploring the possibility of setting up a joint venture company to spearhead the dialysis business.

B Braun is a US $2 billion company specialising in medical devices, pharmacy, IV solutions, nutritionals, wound care, among others. It has its presence in over 50 countries. B Braun India is a wholly owned subsidiary of B Braun Malaysis, which, in turn, is a 100 percent subsidiary of B Braun Melsugen, Germany. Bharat Serums is a Rs.300 crore plus privately held company. This is the second such marketing alliance of Bharat Serums with a multinational company. In 1996, Bharat Serums was instrumental in launching Pharmacia’s range of products in India.

Medvin ties up with Hemotech for autologous blood recovery system

Hyderabad-based Medwin Hospitals has become the first institution in Andhra Pradesh to make use of "cell saver", an autologous blood recovery system for providing safe blood transfusion during heart surgeries. The hospital has tied up with Hemotech Inc, the developer of the system for the purpose. The cell saver machine utilizes the patient’s own blood instead of the donor’s blood thus reducing or eliminating the need for donated blood in case of emergencies.

The cell saver autologous blood recovery system helps in collecting the patient’s blood that bleeds during the surgery, cleanses it and recycles it into the patient’s body. The advantage of using this equipment is that it avoids complications related to non- autologous transfusion reactions, transmitted infections and sensitization.

According to Dr. Prateek Bhatnagar, cardiologist, medwin Hospitals, trauma patients will be the biggest beneficiaries of this method, where heavy blood loss takes place. The method will also help in reducing the overall demand for blood. While the patients are normally told to arrange for eight units of blood, the equipment will reduce the problem. The hospital has already developed the equipment for about 20 bypass surgeries and the effect was remarkable, he added.