GlaxoSmithKline India Upbeat on R&D, Cautious on Marketing

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals India (GSK India), the local unit of the UK drug major, has reiterated its enthusiasm for pursuing new research partnerships with local drug companies in the wake of the country's new intellectual property regime, but remains cautious on creating any new marketing alliances in the country.

As the level of enforcement of the new patent framework is still to be seen, GSK India has already pledged to launch its parent's more sophisticated products one by one on the Indian market, launching at least one new drug each year by 2007. The company's marketing strategy remains even more cautious. GSK, which is the multinational market leader in India, will continue to rely on direct communications with prescribing doctors, in order to build up trust in its brand over the long term.

Senior company sources have now ruled out forming new alliances with local marketing firms, indicating that there would be "nothing to gain but there is a lot to lose" from such a strategy. This focus seems to be another facet of GSK's uniquely tailored approach to the Indian market, where it has recently pledged to launch off-patent generic drugs.