ACG acquires significant stake in Mumbai-based IQGEN-X

The investment aims at augmenting R&D and IP in drug development

November 7, 2020

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ACG offers a wide range of capsules (both gelatin & HPMC)

ACG, a leading supplier of integrated pharmaceutical manufacturing solutions announced acquisition of a significant stake in Mumbai-based start-up IQGEN-X. QIAGEN-X is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) delivering niche and complex drug development technologies for the pharmaceutical industry.

The move sees ACG expanding further into the R&D side of drug development and supports a firm group-wide commitment to improving customer experiences throughout the supply and value chains.

The ACG investment also comes at a critical juncture when the Indian government is at the cusp of announcing a new policy to benchmark the R&D ecosystem by incentivizing innovation and science globally. The funds so infused by ACG will be utilized to set up a cGMP facility and develop and file new Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDAs).

“IQGENX’s excellent track record in patents and ANDAs speaks for itself, and we look forward to benefitting from its niche technology, broad-based expertise and research specialization that has been recognized globally by WHO and the US FDA,” said Karan Singh, managing director, ACG. “For ACG, this partnership will immediately help expand our group capabilities, and will accelerate our innovation strategy of bold, disciplined investment and world class execution to drive sustainable long-term growth with drug companies in India and global markets.”

Dr Mandar M Kodgule, chairman and chief executive officer, IQGEN-X, commented, “We at IQGEN-X are delighted to have ACG as partner whose strong global footprints and excellent operational capabilities, bring great synergy to IQGEN-X’s growth strategy. ACG’s strategic investment augments our technical expertise, portfolio strategy and corporate vision to create a robust portfolio of limited competition complex products for regulated markets. We believe that this partnership will open several other opportunities which will accelerate growth of both companies.”

IQGENX was established in October 2016 with a vision of innovative research and technology to produce high quality, affordable, safe, and effective medicines. Its state-of-art R&D facility for niche and complex generic products, expertise in technology transfer, regulatory, IP, and compliance enables it to cater to US, European, and other highly regulated markets. Led by healthcare experts and pharmaceutical scientists with over 150 years of combined experience, the company is on the path to growing from a contract research organization (CRO) to a fully integrated pharmaceutical company.

ACG has been providing innovative and integrated solutions to the global pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries for almost 60 years, in over 100 countries across six continents. ACG products include capsules, film and foil barriers, engineering equipment, and inspection systems. All comply fully with international regulatory requirements.

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