C2 Pharma, a Luxembourg-based phytochemical and chemical-pharmaceutical company, secured its supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) digoxin, through the acquisition of Nobilus’ API product portfolio.
The availability of digoxin API has been disrupted since 2014. Marcelo Reinhardt, senior director of business development at C2 Pharma, told us the disruption has been “due to the inability of the manufacturers and their digitalis leaf growers to supply the marketplace reliably.”
Per the acquisition, a full supply of the API will be available from C2 Pharma through two sources of manufacturing with its partners Nobilus in Poland and Laurus Labs in India.
To mitigate the risk of unreliable product posed with the manufacture of digoxin, C2 Pharma will set up a fully independent supply chain and continue to invest in a dedicated manufacturing facility for Laurus Labs.
The company invested around $10m (€8.84m) in the fully dedicated production facility at Laurus site in Vizag, India. According to Reinhardt, the plant is 1,800m2 and has an annual production output which covers the global demand for digoxin.
This agreement sees C2 Pharma become the owner of the API product portfolio and Nobilus become its manufacturing and distribution group. Reinhardt explained that while Digoxin does not have a large market, it is a niche but global API and is classified as an essential drug by the World Health Organization.
