CIPLA

Updates March 20 story with Novo Nordisk comment on Wegovy launch timing in paragraph 11

By Rishika Sadam

HYDERABAD, March 21 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly launched its blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drug Mounjaro in India on Thursday, beating rival Novo Nordisk for a much-awaited entry into the world's most populous country grappling with increasing rates of obesity and diabetes.

U.S.-based Lilly LLY.N and Danish Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO have seen skyrocketing global demand for their innovative weight-loss drugs, with investor interest also boosting the drugmakers' valuations.

Mounjaro, a once-weekly injection approved by India's drug regulator, is priced at 4,375 rupees ($50.67) for a 5 mg vial and 3,500 rupees ($40.54) for a 2.5 mg vial, its lowest doses, the company told Reuters exclusively. Its highest dose is 15 mg.

A patient in India may have to spend about $200 a month when taking a weekly dose of 5 mg, subject to doctor's prescription.

Mounjaro carries a list price of $1,086.37 for each monthly fill in the U.S., but the amount patients pay largely depends on their insurance plan. Lilly also offers 5 mg, 7.5 mg and 10 mg vials of Zepbound, with prices around $499 for a month's supply if customers pay directly in cash without any third-party entities.

Chemically known as tirzepatide, Mounjaro is currently sold in the UK and Europe under the same brand name for both diabetes and weight loss. It is sold as Zepbound for obesity in the U.S.

Lilly, however, said that the pricing in different geographies cannot be compared given significant variation in healthcare systems, economies and reimbursement policies in each country.

"(Mounjaro) launch is ahead of Novo Nordisk and the first mover advantage should help ... but pricing seems high (for the Indian market). At the highest dose, a patient will have to spend close to 700,000 rupees (around $8,100) per annum," Vishal Manchanda, analyst at Systematix Institutional Equities said.

Novo's weight-loss drug, Wegovy, can cost non-insured U.S. patients more than $1,000 a month.

Novo's India team has been pushing the global leadership to launch Wegovy as early as 2025 in the country as opposed to the company's target of a 2026 launch.

The drugmaker told Reuters that Wegovy has already been approved in India, but said it did not have a confirmed date for the medicine's launch there.

The company's shares were down 0.6% at 1145 GMT, underperforming the broader European market .STOXX. Shares of U.S.-based Lilly rose as much as 2.07% to $854.39 on Thursday.

Novo's stock has fallen over 12% so far this year, while Lilly's has jumped 8%.

Novo is not the only competition Lilly will have to confront in India. Local drugmakers such as Sun Pharma SUN.NS, Cipla CIPL.NS, Dr. Reddy's REDY.NS and Lupin LUPN.NS have been racing to make generic versions of these drugs to grab a share of the global market estimated to be worth $150 billion in the next decade.

The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide, which is likely to go off-patent in 2026 in India.

"The dual burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes is rapidly emerging as a major public health challenge in India," said President and General Manager Winselow Tucker at Lilly India.

Obesity and diabetes rates in India, a country of more than 1.4 billion people, have been steadily climbing. The number of adults with diabetes is set to increase to over 124 million by 2045 from 74.2 million in 2021, according to International Diabetes Federation.

Meanwhile, a government survey conducted between 2019 and 2021 showed that 24% of women and nearly 23% of men between the ages of 15 and 49 were either overweight or obese, up from 20.6% of women and 19% of men in 2015-2016.

Wegovy and Novo's diabetes drug, Ozempic — which has the same main ingredient — and Mounjaro, belong to a class of therapies known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that help control blood sugar and slow digestion, making people feel fuller for longer.

($1 = 86.3425 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam in Hyderabad, Maggie Fick in London and Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Manvi Pant in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman, Alan Barona and Tomasz Janowski)

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March 20 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly LLY.N on Thursday launched in India its diabetes and weight-loss drug, Mounjaro, which has already clocked in over $20 billion in global sales since its initial U.S. launch in 2022.

India, the world's most populous country, has high obesity rates and the second-highest number of people with type 2 diabetes. Around 11% of Indian adults are expected to become obese by 2035, according to the World Obesity Federation Atlas.

Here are the local and international drugmakers also eyeing the Indian market and looking to introduce rivals to Lilly's drug:

NOVO NORDISK

The Danish drugmaker NOVOb.CO had said it aims to launch its blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy, in India by 2026.

The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide, which is likely to go off-patent in 2026 in India.

Wegovy and Lilly's Mounjaro belong to the same class of treatments called GLP-1 agonists, which soared into popularity globally triggering a shortage of supply. GLP-1 drugs mimic a gut hormone that helps control blood sugar levels and slow digestion, making people feel fuller for longer.

SUN PHARMA

Sun Pharmaceutical SUN.NS, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, is developing its own GLP-1 treatment, utreglutide, for weight loss and type 2 diabetes.

The drugmaker said earlier this month it expects to launch the drug in the next four to five years.

BIOCON

Indian drugmaker Biocon BION.NS is developing its own version of Novo's Wegovy, as the drug is set to lose exclusivity next year in emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia.

ZYDUS LIFESCIENCES

India's Zydus Lifesciences ZYDU.NS is developing the generic version of Semaglutide and plans on launching the drug after its patent expires in India.

CIPLA

Cipla CIPL.NS, India's third-largest drugmaker by sales, is among the Indian drugmakers making cheaper versions of Novo's Wegovy.

Cipla has also said it is open to partnering with Lilly to market Mounjaro in India.

DR. REDDY'S

India's Dr. Reddy's REDY.NS has said it plans to launch generic versions of Semaglutide in all the markets as Novo's patent expires.

LUPIN

India's Lupin LUPN.NS is another generic drugmaker looking to grab a share of the burgeoning obesity treatment market with its own version of Novo's Wegovy.

NATCO, MANKIND PHARMA, AUROBINDO PHARMA

Media reports say India's Natco Pharma NATP.NS, Mankind Pharma MNKI.NS, Aurobindo Pharma ARBN.NS are also developing cheaper versions of Novo's Wegovy.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

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By Rishika Sadam and Kashish Tandon

MUMBAI/BENGALURU, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Tariffs should not influence decisions at Indian drug companies, Cipla's CIPL.NS top executive said on Friday, as the industry braces for U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to tax pharmaceutical imports.

India, often dubbed the "pharmacy of the world", is among the top exporters to the U.S., especially for cheaper versions of popular drugs.

"I'm not sure tariffs should dictate what we should be doing as players, because there is a risk that four years later, those tariffs may go away," Cipla Global CEO Umang Vohra said at the Global Pharmaceutical Quality Summit in Mumbai.

"So by the time you build a plant, tariffs have gone away. Now you have a plant sitting there, right? So I just think we should take a more holistic view."

Trump has said he could impose duties of 25% or more on pharmaceutical imports and an announcement could be made by next month. He also asked companies to shift manufacturing to the U.S. to avoid tariffs.

Most drugmakers said they were awaiting clarity on what kind of tariffs would be imposed, if any.

"I don't know how much difference it (tariffs) will make to us... and will not justify relocating our manufacturing," said Sun Pharma SUN.NS MD Dilip Shanghvi.

"Ultimately, it (tariff impact) will be passed on to consumers," Shanghvi said.

India imposes an about 10% tax on pharma imports from the U.S. while paying almost nothing on exports of its pharmaceutical products into the U.S., according to industry experts.

India makes cheaper generic versions of complex innovative drugs in its massive factory clusters and exports them to over 200 countries, and the U.S. is its biggest market, government data shows.

According to research firm IQVIA, nearly half of all prescriptions for generic medicines in the United States in 2022 were supplied by Indian drugmakers. Overall, generic drugs saved the U.S. health system about $408 billion.

Earlier this week, Dr Reddy's MD GV Prasad told Reuters Indian drugmakers are likely to remain competitive in the generics market even if Trump levies a duty on pharmaceutical imports.

He had also said shifting manufacturing to the U.S. was not practical as they do not have enough capacity and costs would rise.

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam in Mumbai; Writing by Kashish Tandon; Editing by Devika Syamnath)

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Corrects paragraph 6 in February 20 story to say generic drugs overall, not just those supplied by Indian drugmakers, resulted in $408 billion in savings for the U.S. healthcare system

By Rishika Sadam

HYDERABAD Feb 20 (Reuters) - Indian drugmakers are hoping that bilateral discussions between the country and the United States will help them steer clear of President Donald Trump's plan to levy at least 25% tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, a trade association said.

India, which calls itself the 'pharmacy of the world', makes cheaper generic versions of complex innovative drugs in its massive factory clusters and exports them to over 200 countries, of which the U.S. is its biggest market, government data shows.

In fiscal 2024, the exports to the U.S. were worth $8.7 billion, or about 31% of total pharma exports, per data from government-backed trade body Pharmexcil. Trump's threat to raise tariffs sent shares of Indian drugmakers sliding on Wednesday.

"This (tariff) matter will be discussed through bilateral engagements between the two countries and further steps will be determined accordingly," Sudarshan Jain, secretary general of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We are confident that continued dialogue among stakeholders will help address the subject."

According to research firm IQVIA, nearly half of all prescriptions for generic medicines in the U.S. in 2022 were supplied by Indian drugmakers, underscoring the Indian industry's role in access to affordable, quality-assured medicines. Overall generic drugs saved the U.S. healthcare system about $408 billion that year.

"This (tariff) move is going to be inflationary to the U.S. as they don't have the requisite manufacturing infrastructure in-house to replace the scale of supply that India does," said Vishal Manchanda, an analyst at Systematix Institutional Equities.

The IPA represents some of India's biggest drugmakers, including Sun Pharmaceutical SUN.NS, Dr Reddy's REDY.NS, Cipla CIPL.NS and Zydus Lifesciences ZYDU.NS, as well as the local units of U.S. firms like Abbott ABT.N.

Earlier this week, Sun Pharma Managing Director Dilip Shanghvi told local media that the tariffs, if imposed, will be passed on to consumers.

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam; Editing by Savio D'Souza)

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Feb 3 (Reuters) - Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS:

• CIPLA LTD - TO INVEST ZAR 900 MILLION IN SOUTH AFRICAN SUBSIDIARY

Source text: ID:nBSE82Sv58

Further company coverage: CIPL.NS

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Adds analyst comment in paragraph 5

By Kashish Tandon and Rishika Sadam

HYDERABAD/BENGALURU Jan 31 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical SUN.NS, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, reported a bigger-than-expected quarterly profit on Friday, aided by strong sales in the domestic market.

The Mumbai-based firm's consolidated net profit rose 15% to 29.03 billion rupees ($335.3 million) in the third quarter, beating analysts' average estimate of 28.81 billion rupees, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Sales in India, Sun Pharma's largest revenue-generating region, rose 14% to 43 billion rupees, or about 31% of total sales. That was bigger than the 11% increase in the previous quarter.

Its high-margin global specialty pharmaceutical segment, which includes medicines for conditions such as alopecia and psoriasis, reported a 17.5% jump in sales to $370 million, or 21% of total sales.

"Increasing contribution from global specialty drugs is a key positive for Sun Pharma and will continue to boost margins in near term, said Shrikant Akolkar, an analyst at Nuvama Institutional Equities.

Overall, the company's revenue rose 10.5% to 136.75 billion rupees, surpassing analysts' estimates of 134.22 billion rupees.

That was despite U.S. sales increasing just 0.7%.

Most of India's generic drugmakers derive a significant share of revenue from the United States, where lower drug prices due to stiff competition have been weighing on profit margins.

Among its rivals, Dr Reddy's REDY.NS missed profit estimates for the quarter, while Cipla CIPL.NS beat expectations. However, both the generic drugmakers saw muted growth in their key North American market.

($1 = 86.5860 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam and Kashish Tandon; Editing by Savio D'Souza)

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** Cipla CIPL.NS, India's No.3 drugmaker by sales, reported Q3 results above estimates on Tuesday, led by strong domestic business

** At least four analysts hiked PT on the stock, while two have upgraded the stock - LSEG data

HEALTHY LAUNCH PIPELINE TO REPLACE REVLIMID LOSS BUT TIMELINE UNCERTAIN

** CLSA ("hold", PT: 1,419.55) says while management expects launches of respiratory drug Advair and cancer drug Abraxane to offset the revenue loss after Revlimid patent expires, it depends on the remediation of their manufacturing plants - timings for which are uncertain

** Jefferies ("hold", PT: 1,395.90) says further delay in launch of Advair and Abraxane in H2FY26 is "key disappointment," adding that CIPL's launch pipeline in U.S. looks weak in near-term with only one peptide launch planned

** Motilal Oswal ("neutral", PT: 1,421 rupees) says clarity from U.S. FDA on CIPL's niche products is "key monitorable" over medium term

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru)

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Corrects to remove reference to strong demand in North America in headline and paragraph 1

HYDERABAD/BENGALURU, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Cipla CIPL.NS, one of India's largest drugmakers by sales, reported a bigger-than-expected third-quarter profit on Tuesday, helped by strong demand.

The company's consolidated net profit increased nearly 49% to 15.71 billion rupees ($181.6 million) in the October-December quarter, beating analysts' estimate of 12.12 billion rupees, as per data compiled by LSEG.

Total revenue climbed 7.1% to 70.73 billion rupees, surpassing analysts' expectations of 69.51 billion rupees.

Cipla's sales are usually lifted by demand for tumour drug Lanerotide, which is its second-biggest revenue generator. However, the company had warned in October that certain supply chain issues related to the drug would last until the fourth quarter.

Last week, rival Dr Reddy's REDY.NS reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit due to weak U.S. sales.

Indian generic drugmakers have been struggling with slowing U.S. sales, delayed approvals for new drug applications and lower pricing amid stiff competition, according to analysts.

($1 = 86.5325 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam in Hyderabad and Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Eileen Soreng and Mrigank Dhaniwala)

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Jan 23 (Reuters) - Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS:

• RAJEEV KUMAR SINHA RESIGNS AS GLOBAL CHIEF MANUFACTURING OFFICER

Source text: ID:nBSE1BP4wl

Further company coverage: CIPL.NS

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Jan 20 (Reuters) - Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS:

• USFDA INSPECTION AT MANUFACTURING FACILITY OF MEDISPRAY IN KUNDAIM, GOA

• ON CONCLUSION OF INSPECTION, MEDISPRAY RECEIVED 1 (ONE) OBSERVATION IN FORM 483

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: CIPL.NS

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Jan 17 (Reuters) - Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS:

• CIPLA - TAX AUTHORITY IMPOSES PENALTY OF 97.7 MILLION RUPEES ON CIPLA

Source text: ID:nBSEbgRp0c

Further company coverage: CIPL.NS

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By Leroy Leo and Rishika Sadam

BENGALURU/HYDERABAD, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk's NOVOb.CO team in India has been pushing the Danish drugmaker's global leadership for an earlier launch of its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy over fears of falling behind rival Eli Lilly LLY.N in the potentially huge market, two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters.

Officials at the Danish drugmaker have said Wegovy might be introduced in India in 2026 once regulatory approvals are in hand and there is sufficient supply. More recently, Novo's India team proposed moving the launch to next year, around the same time Lilly is expected to introduce its weight-loss drug Mounjaro.

In a closed-door meeting at Novo's Denmark headquarters about two months ago, the India team raised concerns that the company could lag behind Lilly in the domestic market if Wegovy was not launched early, said one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Novo declined to comment on internal discussions and Reuters could not determine what response the India-based executives received.

Wegovy and Novo's diabetes drug Ozempic, which has the same main ingredient, and Mounjaro, belong to a class of therapies known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that help control blood sugar and slow digestion, making people feel fuller for longer.

The companies have been struggling to meet soaring demand in the U.S. and the few other countries where the drugs have been launched so far. Novo and Lilly are both scaling up production as they vie for a dominant share of a weight-loss market that some analysts forecast could reach $150 billion a year in the next decade.

Novo received regulatory approval in India for injectable semaglutide - the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic - in late 2022, according to one of the sources.

"We are working to make Wegovy (semaglutide injection 2.4 milligrams) available as soon as possible. We do not yet have a confirmed date for launch," Novo India said in a statement to Reuters.

Lilly, in response to a Reuters request, said its 2025 Mounjaro launch is also subject to the supply situation.

Last month, Novo launched Wegovy in China, the world's second-largest pharmaceuticals market, pricing a month's supply of the starter dose at 1,400 yuan ($193.27), far lower than its U.S. list price of more than $1,300, although most people don't pay that much.

India's generic drugmakers, including Cipla CIPL.NS and Dr Reddy's REDY.NS, are making cheaper copies of Wegovy, with the timing of any launch subject to patent expiry. Sun Pharmaceutical SUN.NS, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, is developing its own experimental GLP weight-loss drug.

India, a country of more than 1.4 billion people, has seen an increase in the prevalence of obesity. A government survey conducted between 2019 and 2021 showed that 24% of women and nearly 23% of men between the ages of 15 and 49 were either overweight or obese, up from 20.6% of women and 19% of men in 2015-2016.

Dr. Rishma Pai, a consultant gynaecologist at three hospitals in Mumbai who participated in a Novo survey about attitudes towards obesity, said the company has been reaching out to many types of doctors for a few years to spread awareness about obesity medications and better understand how to promote their acceptance in India.

Acceptance no longer appears to be an issue.

"Every patient is asking about these weight-loss injections," Pai said.

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam in Hyderabad and Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Bill Berkrot)

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Dec 2 (Reuters) - Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS:

• PROMOTERS SOLD 1.72% STAKE IN CO VIA OPEN MARKET

Source text: ID:nBSE6Qj5Mq

Further company coverage: CIPL.NS

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** Shares of generic drugmaker Cipla CIPL.NS rise ~3% to 1,536 rupees

** Prabhudas Lilladher upgrades stock to "buy" from "accumulate" and raises target price by 7% to 1,730 rupees

** Says CIPL's robust U.S. portfolio of respiratory drugs, injectable and peptides, and new product launches to drive $1 bln of sales in FY27

** Timely launch of cancer drug Abraxane and asthma drug Advair can yield $100-120 mln of sales on annual basis amid limited competition - brokerage

** Expects domestic market recovery to drive earnings in Q3 since U.S. sales might see a dip owing to supply issues for tumour drug Lanreotide

** Avg rating of analysts on CIPL a "hold"; median PT is at 1,660 rupees - LSEG data

** Stock up ~24% so far this year vs a 32% rise in Nifty pharma index .NIPHARM

(Reporting by Dimpal Gulwani in Bengaluru)

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Nov 28 (Reuters) - Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS:

• CIPLA LTD - GST AUTHORITY IMPOSES PENALTY OF 5.3 MILLION RUPEES ON CIPLA

Source text: ID:nBSE59Q7Yb

Further company coverage: CIPL.NS

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Nov 13 (Reuters) - Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS:

• USFDA INSPECTION AT COMPANY’S MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN VIRGONAGAR, BENGALURU, INDIA

• COMPANY RECEIVED 8 (EIGHT) OBSERVATIONS IN FORM 483

Further company coverage: CIPL.NS

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Rewrites, adds CFO comment from earnings call

By Rishika Sadam and Kashish Tandon

HYDERABAD/BENGALURU Nov 5 (Reuters) - Indian generic drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories' REDY.NS second-quarter profit was hit by one-time charges related to its joint venture with Nestle India and Nicotinell acquisition, the company said on Tuesday.

The company also reported an impairment charge due to supply chain constraints in U.S. affecting a particular generic medical product.

Reddy's reported a 9.5% fall in its consolidated net profit after tax to 13.42 billion rupees ($159.6 million) for the quarter ended Sept. 30.

Analysts on average had estimated a profit of 14.01 billion rupees, as per data compiled by LSEG.

To diversify its portfolio beyond generic drugs and boost its consumer health business, the drugmaker invested 7.34 billion rupees during the quarter in a joint venture with Nestle India, announced in April, to make vitamin supplements.

The company also acquired nicotine replacement product, Nicotinell, from Haleon HLN.L in June.

During the quarter, the company had charged off a debt tax asset following a change in government's land tax laws which also hit the profit, Chief Financial Officer MV Narasimham said on the post-earnings call.

The drugmaker's total revenue jumped 16.5% to 80.38 billion rupees, surpassing analysts' estimates of an 11% rise, as its revenue from North America climbed 17%.

Generic drugmakers such as Dr Reddy's, Cipla CIPL.NS and Zydus ZYDS.NS have been struggling in their key United States market with lower pricing issues amid stiff competition, termed as price erosion.

However, the company said the impact of price erosion was low during the quarter, aiding to double-digit growth of its business in North America.

Generic drugmakers have also been benefitting from strong sales across North America for their generic versions of Bristol-Myers Squibb's BMY.N popular cancer treatment drug Revlimid since its launch in 2022. Their diabetic drug portfolio has also been contributing to growth in North America.

Revenue from the India business, the company's second-biggest market, climbed 18% to 13.97 billion rupees.

($1 = 84.0710 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon and Rishika Sadam in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza, Janane Venkatraman and Vijay Kishore)

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** Shares of Cipla CIPL.NS gain 1% to 1,577.55 rupees, set for third straight session of gain

** Brokerage Nomura upgrades stock to "buy" from "neutral", hikes PT to 1,800 rupees from 1,568 rupees

** Brokerage says US FDA's clearance for CIPL's Goa facility is "sentiment-positive"

** The facility was under a warning letter by the FDA since 2020 but was classified as "voluntary action indicated" last week - a move that analysts said removes a "key regulatory overhang" on the stock

** Moreover, Nomura says it does not expect CIPL to face rising competition in the latter half of FY26 and FY27 on the back of two additional generic approvals during Q2

** Avg rating on CIPL, peer Dr Reddy's REDY.NS at "hold" while Sun Pharma SUN.NS rated "buy" - LSEG data

** CIPL's 26.5% YTD gain higher than REDY's ~9% but smaller than SUN's ~41% YTD climb

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru)

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** Shares of Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS rise as much as 10% to 1,560.05 rupees

** More than 464,000 shares traded in block deals in the price range of 1,520.80 to 1,560.05 rupees apiece - include 2 block deals at a premium to stock's last closing price of 1,537 rupees, LSEG data shows

** Emkay says the USFDA classification of the June 2024 inspection of co's Goa facility as Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI) removes a key regulatory overhang for co; retains 'REDUCE'

** More than 4.7 mln shares traded, 2.5x their 30-day moving avg

** Mean rating of 33 brokerages rating the stock is "hold"; their median PT is 1,641.50 rupees - LSEG data

** CIPL top gainer on Nifty pharma index .NIPHARM, which is up 1.3%

(Reporting by Meenakshi Maidas in Bengaluru)

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** India's NSE Nifty 50 .NSEI and BSE Sensex .BSESN decline 0.4% each

** Five of 13 major subsectors trading lower, with heavyweight financials .NIFTYFIN dropping 1.3% after rising 2.6% in the previous two sessions

** Drugmaker Cipla CIPL.NS drops 3.9%, most on Nifty, after flagging supply crunch, product launch delays in key US market

** But more domestically-focussed small- .NIFSMCP100 and mid-caps .NIFMDCP100 rise 1.1% and 0.6%, respectively

** While their relative valuations are still higher vs large-caps, a recent drop has made valuations more attractive, say two analysts

** "Historically, quality small- and mid-caps often recover substantially after corrections, which has brought investor interest in the segment after the drop in October" says G Chokkalingam, managing director of research at Equinomics Research

** Lackluster Q2 earnings so far and persistent foreign selling have weighed on markets in October so far

** Nifty down 5.5% so far this month; small- and mid-caps shed 4% and 6% in the same period

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee and Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru)

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Adds commentary from media call, rewrites

By Kashish Tandon and Rishika Sadam

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Cipla CIPL.NS, India's third-largest generic drugmaker by sales, reported a 15.2% rise in second-quarter profit that beat estimates, driven by higher sales of its respiratory and cancer drugs in its key North America and India markets.

Sales in North America grew 5% during the quarter, driven by Cipla's respiratory drug Albuterol and cancer drug Lanreotide, which is Cipla's second-biggest revenue generator.

"We could have done more (in the U.S.) ... but for a little bit of a supply chain-related issue with regards to Lanreotide," Global Chief Executive Officer Umang Vohra said.

The company did not elaborate on the supply chain issue but said it expects it to be resolved by the fourth quarter.

Cipla reported a consolidated net profit of 13.03 billion rupees ($155 million) for the quarter ended Sept. 30, beating analysts' estimate of 12.34 billion rupees, as per data compiled by LSEG.

Revenue from India, the company's second-biggest market, also rose 5% to 29.48 billion rupees. U.S. and India make up three-fourths of Cipla's total revenue.

CEO Vohra said that the India business witnessed a slower antibiotic sales due to different seasonal or weather pattern.

"We're looking to a strong Q3 (for India business) as respiratory (issues') season kicks in," he said.

Indian generic drugmakers like Cipla and Dr Reddy's REDY.NS have benefited from strong demand for their copycat versions of Bristol-Myers Squibb's BMY.N cancer drug Revlimid since its launch in 2022, boosting sales in the U.S.

Lenalidomide, Cipla's generic version of Revlimid, is its biggest revenue generator.

Cipla's total revenue for the quarter rose 5.6%, slightly below analysts' expectations of a 5.8% growth.

($1 = 84.0480 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan and Mrigank Dhaniwala)

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** Shares of Cipla CIPL.NS close up 3.1% at 1672.5 rupees

** UBS initiates coverage of the stock with "buy" rating and PT of 2,060 rupees, the highest among 32 analysts covering the stock - LSEG data

** "Buy" mainly driven by share price not fully factoring in potential upside from multiple high-value launches in respiratory, injectable portfolios in U.S. over next 2 years - UBS

** Stock was top gainer on the pharma index, which closed 1.2% higher

** CIPL rated "buy" on avg with median PT of 1823.50 rupees

** CIPL up 34% YTD, 20.5% rise in Nifty 50.NSEI and 39.5% rise in the pharma index

(Reporitng by Nishit Navin)

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Sept 25 (Reuters) - Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS:

• CIPLA - UNIT TO PURCHASE 6.9124% EQUITY INTEREST OF JIANGSU XIDI PHARMACEUTICALS CO

• CIPLA - PURCHASE OF 6.9124% EQUITY INTEREST OF JIANGSU XIDI PHARMACEUTICALS HELD IN CIPLA (JIANGSU)

• CIPLA - DEAL FOR RMB 35.8 MILLION

Further company coverage: CIPL.NS

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Adds analyst comment in paragraph 5; company comment in paragraph 10

By Kashish Tandon

HYDERABAD/BENGALURU, July 26 (Reuters) - Cipla CIPL.NS, India's third-largest generics drugmaker by sales, beat first-quarter profit estimates on Friday as it reported higher sales in its North America market, boosting its shares to an all-time high.

The company posted an 18.3% rise in consolidated net profit to 11.78 billion rupees ($140.8 million) for the quarter ended June 30, surpassing analysts' estimates of 11.10 billion rupees, as per LSEG data.

Cipla's shares jumped 6.7% to a record high of 1,600 rupees after the results.

Sales in North America grew 13% during the quarter, primarily driven by Cipla's respiratory drug Albuterol and cancer treatment drug Lanreotide.

"Cipla's rising market share for Lanreotide and Albuterol have led the U.S. revenue to beat our estimates," said Shrikant Akolkar, an analyst at Nuvama Institutional Equities.

Indian generics drugmakers have been benefitting from strong demand for their copycat versions of Bristol-Myers Squibb's BMY.N blockbuster drug Revlimid since their launch in 2022, boosting sales in the U.S., a key market for domestic pharma companies.

Bristol Myers is now facing pressure from generic competition for Revlimid, once its top-selling drug.

Revenue from India, Cipla's second-biggest market, rose 10% to 28.98 billion rupees.

North America and India make up around three-fourths of the company's revenue.

Its overall revenue rose 7%, but fell short of analysts' expectations of a nearly 8% increase, mainly due to changes in the distribution model of its domestic trade generics business.

However, growth in Cipla's India business should return in the near term as the transition of its trade generics business to a new distribution model is now over, the company said.

($1 = 83.6950 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam and Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

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July 16 (Reuters) - Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS:

• CIPLA - GETS TAX ORDER FOR DEMAND OF 7.73 BILLION RUPEES

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Further company coverage: CIPL.NS

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By Rishika Sadam

BENGALURU, June 28 (Reuters) - India is planning to offer incentives to promote local manufacturing of GLP-1 drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity, in 2026, a top government official said on Friday.

GLP-1 drugs, originally approved to treat diabetes, are also widely being used to treat obesity as they slow digestion, helping patients feel full longer.

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's NOVOb.CO patent on semaglutide - a GLP-1 agonist and the key ingredient in its wildly popular obesity drug Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic - is set to expire in India in 2026, industry experts say.

"The (Indian) companies (planning) manufacturing GLP-1 drugs have applied for the government's production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme," Arunish Chawla, Secretary of Department of Pharmaceuticals, told Reuters.

"Once they start manufacturing in 2026 after patent expiries, we will give them the incentive," said Chawla, without disclosing the names of these companies.

Drugmakers across the globe are looking to grab a slice of the weight-loss drugs market, which is estimated to reach at least $100 billion by the end of the decade.

India has high obesity rates, especially among women, and has the world's second-highest number of people with type 2 diabetes. Around 11% of Indian adults will be obese by 2035, according to the World Obesity Federation Atlas.

Domestic drugmakers Biocon BION.NS, Sun Pharma SUN.NS, Cipla CIPL.NS, Dr Reddy's REDY.NS and Lupin LUPN.NS are all part of this club. They were not immediately available for comment on Friday.

India has offered incentives since 2020 to spur local manufacturing of everything from electronic products to drones, but has been successful only in a handful of them.

The drugmakers that will be considered for the upcoming incentive scheme have labeled their GLP-1 drugs use case as 'anti-diabetic' in their application, Chawla said.

"Their usage for obesity will depend on necessary approvals at that time from the drug regulator."

(Reporting by Rishika Sadam; Additional reporting by Kashish Tandon; Editing by Dhanya Skariachan and Savio D'Souza)

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** Shares of Cipla CIPL.NS fall ~2% to 1,509.50 rupees; on track for fourth straight session of losses

** Generic drugmaker received six observations from US FDA for its manufacturing facility in Goa

** Stock top loser on pharma index .NIPHARM and second biggest pct loser on benchmark nifty 50 .NSEI

** CIPL, rival Sun Pharma SUN.NS rated "buy" on avg, Dr Reddy's REDY.NS rated "hold" - LSEG

** Stock up ~21% YTD vs REDY's 3.5% gain and SUN's 17% climb; pharma index up 16% YTD

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru)

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BENGALURU, June 21 (Reuters) - Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical 4502.T gave India's Sun Pharmaceutical SUN.NS and Cipla CIPL.NS the rights to commercialize gastrointestinal drug Vonoprazan in the country.

The drug, which is sold in the form of tablets under the brand name 'Voltapraz', blocks a key step in the production of stomach acid, Sun Pharma said on Friday. Cipla announced the agreement late on Thursday.

Takeda has granted both drugmakers non-exclusive patent licensing rights for the drug.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects 5% to 28.5% of India's population.

Earlier this month, Torrent Pharmaceuticals TORP.NS also partnered with Takeda to commercialize Vonoprazan in India.

Sun Pharmaceutical's shares rose 0.7% on Friday, while Cipla was up 1%.

(Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

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June 13 (Reuters) - Cupid Ltd CUCO.NS:

• CUPID LIMITED SECURES INITIAL ORDER FROM CIPLA HEALTH FOR MALE CONDOMS

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June 11 (Reuters) - Cipla Ltd CIPL.NS:

• ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONER OF STATE TAX UPHELD ORDER OF OFFICE OF JOINT COMMISSIONER OF STATE TAXES AGAINST CO

Further company coverage: CIPL.NS

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