pharma in focus article

Nothing new, just more media coverage which is always good.

New Generics Marketer to Launch
Small ASX-listed pharmaco, Stirling Products, is set to launch a generic range sourced from Indian major Cipla as part of a new growth strategy. Managing Director, Peter Boonen, told Pharma in Focus a new division of the company
can brand and sell almost any generic and will begin paying calls to pharmacies after the official launch of the new operation this March. Registration of a number of medicines is underway, Mr Boonen added.
Ciplas arrangement with Stirling is its second attempt to make headway on the local generics scene. Cipla was previously connected with a Queensland-based business
Cipla Genpharm, which has a small number of products listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods but no PBS items. Cipla Genpharm changed its name to Dawa Genpharm in November last year.
According to a spokesperson for the agency that handles Ciplas Australian registrations, Meditab Specialities, Cipla has now moved on. The spokesperson said, however, that Meditab was continuing to handle the registration
of products sourced from Cipla on behalf of Stirling. Mr Boonen says theres no connection between Stirling and Genpharm.
He did say that a key to the March launch is the defection of an intact sales team from another company - which he declined to identify due to a bit of turmoil. This month a branding and marketing specialist, Los Angeles based Bob Pritchard, signed an 18 month contract with Stirling and in September last year Stirling appointed Bayer Australias former Head of Sales and Marketing, Neil Covey, as a director.
The working relationship with Cipla is also key, Mr Boonen said. He said formal Memorandums of Understanding with Cipla are in progress and that product focus
will include obesity, anti-cholesterol, diabetes, influenza, and allergy drugs.
In an interview with Finance News Network conducted late in 2009, Mr Boonen said the company, which also has a drug development arm, had encountered a lot of difficulties
financially late last year, early this year.
I took over as Managing Director on February the 9th this year [2009] with a completely new board. Since then weve put together a team of people... with a major
focus on getting product to market, product that sells, acquiring product and developing a strategy.
He told Pharma in Focus the company has changed quite dramatically in the last 12 months and expects annual sales revenue of $36 million by the end of this year.
Over financial year 2008-09 the companys market capitalisation grew from $500,000 to $13 million, largely due to a jump in investor dollars. Stirling also recently purchased a manufacturing facility in Canada.
The official launch of Stirlings new generic prescription portfolio will take place at the Australian Professional Pharmacy Conference on the Gold Coast this March.
Andy Kollmorgen
[email protected]
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